Onterio McCalebb

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC North

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

(press release)

  • Removed from IR list:
    • WR Onterio McCalebb
  • Signed to practice squad:
    • T Dan France
    • CB Troy Hill
    • G Trey Hopkins
    • WR Jake Kumerow
    • TE Matt Lengel
    • LB Trevor Roach
    • RB Terrell Watson
    • QB Keith Wenning
    • RB James Wilder Jr.
    • DT DeShawn Williams

Cleveland Browns

Pittsburgh Steelers

(press release)

  • Signed:
    • RB Jordan Todman
  • Claimed off waivers:
    • DT Caushaud Lyons
  • Cut:
    • LB Anthony Chickillo
    • CB Doran Grant
  • Signed to practice squad:
    • RB Dominique Brown
    • DB Jordan Dangerfield
    • OL Reese Dismukes
    • LB L.J. Fort
    • LB Shayon Green
    • DE Ethan Hemer
    • OL Antonio Johnson
    • WR Shakim Phillips
    • TE Harold Spears
    • WR Jarrod West
    • OL Matt Feiler (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson)

Ravens, Bengals Cut Down To 75 Players

Two AFC North rivals, the Ravens and the Bengals, have reduced their rosters to 75 players in advance of this afternoon’s deadline, the teams announced today.

The Ravens confirmed in a press release that they’ve officially placed Dennis Pitta on the reserve/PUP list, a move we heard weeks ago was coming. The club waived offensive lineman De’Ondre Wesley to get down to 75 players on the active roster, and also cut tackle Darryl Baldwin, who had been on the reserve/NFI list.

As for the Bengals, their roster had been at 78 players after they cut Denarius Moore and eight other players on Monday. Cincinnati’s final three roster moves, according to the team (via Twitter), were placing offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi on the reserve/NFI list, placing linebacker Sean Porter on the reserve/PUP list, and waiving wide receiver Onterio McCalebb with an injury designation.

Ogbuehi and Porter will now have to sit out at least the first six weeks of the regular season, while McCalebb will land on the Bengals’ IR list if and when he clears waivers.

Extra Points: Rice, Mariota, McQuillan

The July 4th holiday weekend is behind us, which means we’re inching slightly closer to the start of NFL training camps. As we continue to count down the days until the 2015 preseason gets underway, let’s round up a few odds and ends from around the league….

  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk checks in on Ray Rice, noting that the running back still hasn’t drawn interest from NFL teams, eight months after his indefinite suspension was overturned.
  • As Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk observes, it’s odd that offsets are the holdup between the Titans and unsigned first-rounder Marcus Mariota, since the chances of offsets becoming relevant before the end of Mariota’s rookie contract are extremely slim.
  • Most players who enter the supplemental draft don’t get picked, but former UConn tight end Sean McQuillan – one of seven prospects eligible for this Thursday’s draft – isn’t lacking for confidence, writes Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant. “First of all, I’m going to make it, and second of all, there isn’t a backup plan,” McQuillan said. “I’m confident I’m going to be able to do this thing. I’m prepared for this. I’m going to show them I’m athletic, I’m versatile, I can do a bunch of different things. I’m confident and I’m ready for this next step, so I haven’t thought about anything else.”
  • In his list of the three most team-friendly veteran wide receiver contracts in the NFL, Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap lists all AFC players: Julian Edelman of the Patriots, Emmanuel Sanders of the Broncos, and Antonio Brown of the Steelers.
  • Former Auburn running back Onterio McCalebb started his career with the Bengals as a cornerback, but the team is trying him at wide receiver this summer, as Mark Inabinett of AL.com details.

Bengals Sign Seven To Reserve Deals

Following the conclusion of their 2014 season on Sunday, the Bengals have begun to move on to 2015 business. As such, the team announced today (Twitter links) that it has signed seven players to reserve/futures contracts for the coming season. All seven players finished the year on Cincinnati’s practice squad. Here’s the full list:

Of the 10 players who finished the season on the Bengals’ taxi squad, three have yet to sign new deals — offensive linemen Emmett Cleary, running back James Wilder, and defensive end Sam Montgomery.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

We’ll track many of Wednesday’s practice squad updates right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • The Browns signed offensive lineman Ryan Seymour to the practice squad and released fellow offensive lineman James Brown from the practice squad to make room, according to Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal (on Twitter).
  • The Eagles have filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing wideout Cobi Hamilton, the team announced today (Twitter link). Hamilton was selected by the Bengals in the sixth round of the 2013 draft, but was cut by the team before this season.
  • Cornerback Onterio McCalebb and tight end Ryan Otten have joined the Bengals‘ practice squad, filling out the final two spots on the unit, according to the team (Twitter link).
  • The Panthers have brought back offensive lineman Derek Dennis for their practice squad, tweets Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer. Dennis was a roster casualty when Carolina trimmed its roster down to 53 players at the end of the preseason.

Minor Moves: Monday

With the season’s first Sunday in the books, a handful of teams are shuffling their rosters in preparation for next week’s games. Here are the latest minor transactions from around the NFL, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Bears have added receiver Greg Herd to the practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Herd spent time with the team during training camp before he was cut on August 23.
  • The Seahawks have signed cornerback Josh Thomas to take the place of the injured Jeremy Lane, reports ESPN’s Terry Blount (via Twitter). They’ve also made some changes to their practice squad, adding guard Nate Isles and safety Terrance Parks in place of guard David Arkin and safety Josh Aubrey, the club announced today (Twitter link).
  • With Dave Zastudil being bothered by a groin injury, the Cardinals have signed punter Drew Butler, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter).
  • Defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi has been claimed off waivers by the Ravens, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bilukidi was cut over the weekend by the Bengals.
  • When the Bengals cut Bilukidi, they signed Onterio McCalebb to their active roster, but he lasted just two days — he has been waived, according to Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who adds (via Twitter) that the club has also terminated wide receiver Cobi Hamilton from the exempt list of the practice squad.
  • To make room for Bilukidi, the Ravens waived running back Fitz Toussaint, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The Broncos have cut long snapper Kevin McDermott from their practice squad, tweets Mike Klis of the Denver Post. His spot will be taken by tight end Dominique Davis, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi has been replaced on the Browns‘ practice squad by defensive lineman Calvin Barnett, says Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • The Bears have signed safety Ahmad Dixon from the Vikings‘ practice squad, cutting cornerback Demontre Hurst to open up a spot on their roster, the team announced today (via Twitter). Dixon was drafted by the Cowboys but was waived by Dallas during preseason roster cutdowns.
  • Offensive tackle Andrew McDonald is also making the move from one team’s practice squad to another club’s 53-man roster, according to agent Brett Tessler, who tweets that his client has a deal with the Seahawks. McDonald had previously been one of the 10 players on the Panthers‘ practice squad.
  • The Bills have cut defensive end Jacquies Smith to make room for Nigel Bradham, who is returning this week from his one-game suspension, tweets ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak.
  • The Seahawks have placed cornerback Jeremy Lane, who is suffering from a groin injury, on their injured reserve list with the designation to return, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Defensive back Jamarca Sanford, who had been on the Vikings‘ injured reserve list, has been released with a settlement, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
  • The Chiefs have signed wideout Armon Binns to their practice squad and removed cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke from their IR with an injury settlement, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links).

Minor Moves: Saturday

As most of the team’s prepare for their season-debut tomorrow, some minor moves are likely to be made. We’ll keep track of the day’s transactions right here, with the most recent moves being added to the top:

  • Defensive lineman Garrison Smith has been dropped from the Dolphins‘ practice squad in order to make room for the previously-reported addition of Brandian Ross, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Wilson also clarifies (via Twitter) that Quinton Pointer‘s release from the Buccaneers, which is noted below, was an injury waiver.

Earlier updates:

  • The Buccaneers are expected to add receiver Solomon Patton to the 53-man roster, reports Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter). The team released cornerback Quinton Pointer and former University of Florida receiver Louis Murphy to make room for Patton and Dixon.
  • The Seahawks have waived wide receiver Phil Bates, reports Terry Blount of ESPN (via Twitter). Blount believes this will open room on the roster for a cornerback.
  • The Chargers have waived Vincent Brown after reaching an injury settlement, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Brown will be eligible to be claimed on Monday at 4 P.M. ET.
  • The Dolphins have re-signed safety Brandian Ross to their practice squad, reports Caplan (via Twitter).
  • The Eagles have released receiver Arrelious Benn from IR with an injury settlement, reports Caplan (via Twitter).
  • The Ravens have promoted running back Fitz Toussaint from the practice squad to the active roster, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Toussaint will replace the recently released Derek Cox.
  • The Patriots have added defensive lineman Kelcy Quarles to their practice squad, according to the team’s official website. They released tight end Allen Reisner to make room.
  • Buccaneers cornerback Brandon Dixon, a sixth-round pick by the Jets this past year, will be activated from the practice squad, tweets CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora.
  • The Bengals have waived defensive end Christo Bilukidi, reports ESPN.com’s Coley Harvey (via Twitter). The team signed cornerback Onterio McCalebb off the practice squad.
  • Brandon Barden, a tight end who previously spent time with the Titans, was removed from the Jaguars injured reserve with an injury settlement, reports Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Cornerback Damond Smith was removed from the Chiefs injured reserve with an injury settlement, tweets Wilson.
  • Panthers tight end D.C. Jefferson was placed on the team’s reserve/suspended list, tweets Wilson. Jefferson was previously on the team’s injured reserve list.

Sunday Transactions: AFC North

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC North teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions are noted below.

Additionally, as of 11:00am CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, changes were made to practice squad rules that allow teams to carry eight players instead of 10, and the eligibility requirements for those extra two spots were also loosened. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC North transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Baltimore Ravens:

Cincinnati Bengals:

Cleveland Browns:

Pittsburgh Steelers:

Bengals Cut Danieal Manning, Down To 53

After parting ways with veteran running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis yesterday, the Bengals listed another familiar name among their final wave of cuts today, with safety Danieal Manning receiving his release. Per a series of tweets from the team, here’s the complete list of transactions that got the roster count down to 53 players:

Released:

Waived:

Placed on injured reserve:

  • Trey Hopkins, G

Placed on reserve/non-football injury list:

  • A.J. McCarron, QB

Waived from injured reserve:

  • Lavelle Westbrooks, CB