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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/19/19

October 19th, 2019 at 5:58pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

A couple of practice squad moves to report as we await kickoffs tomorrow:

Cincinnati Bengals

Detroit Lions

A couple of somewhat notable running backs latched back on today in Perine and Perkins. They’d been waived by the Bengals and Lions respectively in the past couple of days. Perkins was a fifth-round pick of the Giants back in 2016, while Perine was taken in the fourth-round by the Redskins in 2017. Both players received plenty of buzz in their rookie years, but fizzled out quickly. Perkins went to UCLA, while Perine is an Oklahoma product.

Lions Claim RB Tra Carson

October 17th, 2019 at 6:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Lions are making a change to their running back depth chart. Detroit has claimed Tra Carson off waivers from the division-rival Packers while waiving Paul Perkins, the club announced today.

Carson, a former undrafted free agent, has been in the NFL since 2016, but he’s mostly bounced between active and practice squads with the Bengals and Packers. His most significant game action actually came in Week 5 of this year, when he handled six carries for 14 yards and posted four receptions against the Cowboys.

Turning 27 years old next week, Carson has some ties to the Detroit staff, as Lions running back coach Kyle Caskey previously tutored Carson in Cincinnati. Carson will slide into a Lions depth chart that includes starter Kerryon Johnson as well as backups Ty Johnson and J.D. McKissic.

Perkins, 24, was selected by the Giants in the fifth round of the 2016 draft and put up 456 yards during his rookie campaign, but hasn’t done much since. He spent the 2018 campaign on injured reserve before being claimed by the Lions last month.

Lions Cut C.J. Anderson, Claim Paul Perkins

September 17th, 2019 at 4:33pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Lions will have a rearranged backfield come Week 3. They released offseason addition C.J. Anderson and claimed Paul Perkins off waivers from the Giants.

Anderson signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract to join the Lions, his fourth team in the past year. The former Pro Bowler and Super Bowl starter rushed for 43 yards on 16 carries over Detroit’s first two games.

Perkins will join sixth-round rookie Ty Johnson and fellow waiver claim J.D. McKissic behind starter Kerryon Johnson. As a result of Anderson’s departure, the Lions will boast a much less experienced backfield. Perkins will arrive after having not played in a regular-season game since 2017. The former Jerry Reese-era Giants pick was buried on this season’s New York depth chart, prompting the now-Dave Gettleman-led club to waive him last week.

The 24-year-old UCLA alum averaged just 2.2 yards per carry in 2017 but posted a more respectable 4.1 per-tote mark as a rookie. He has yet to score a touchdown. This move will send the 28-year-old Anderson back to free agency. He caught on with the Panthers, Raiders and Rams last season and enjoyed great success for the NFC champions. But Los Angeles moved in a different direction, leading Anderson to Detroit.

Giants Waive RB Paul Perkins

September 16th, 2019 at 7:02pm CST by Ben Levine

Paul Perkins‘ tenure with the Giants has come to an end. ESPN’s Field Yates reports (via Twitter) that the team has waived the running back. In a corresponding move, the team claimed tight end Kaden Smith off waivers.

Perkins, a 2016 fifth-round pick out of UCLA, emerged during his rookie campaign, compiling 456 rushing yards on 112 carries (good for a 4.1-yard average). He also hauled in 15 receptions for 162 yards. He finished with only 136 offensive yards during the 2017 season, and he spent the entire 2018 campaign on the reserve/non-football injury list.

Perkins was inactive for the team’s first two games this season, so today’s move won’t have a major impact on the Giants running back depth chart. The team will continue rolling with Saquon Barkley, Wayne Gallman, and Elijhaa Penny at the position.

Smith was a 2019 sixth-round pick out of Stanford. He was cut by the 49ers last weekend.

Giants Waive RB Paul Perkins

May 10th, 2018 at 1:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are moving on from Paul Perkins. The running back was waived on Thursday morning with a non-football injury designation, according to a press release from the team. 

[RELATED: Giants Free Agent RB Orleans Darkwa Has Surgery]

Perkins suffered a pectoral injury prior to the start of this year’s offseason conditioning program and underwent surgery. Apparently, the Giants did not want to wait to check on Perkins’ status after his recovery.

Perkins was a fifth-round pick of the Giants’ old regime in 2016. The UCLA product went on to appear in 25 games but averaged just 3.6 yards per carry on 153 attempts.

Two years ago, some believed that Perkins would emerge as the leading ball carrier in the Giants’ backfield. That never came to pass as Rashad Jennings led the way in 2016, albeit with subpar results, and Orleans Darkwa served as the No. 1 RB last year. This year, the Giants have a new look backfield with rookie Saquon Barkley as the starter and veteran Jonathan Stewart in support.

Further down the depth chart, 2017 fourth-round pick Wayne Gallman, Terrell Watson, and Jalen Simmons are among those fighting for roster spots.

East Rumors: Cowboys, Elliott, Jets, Giants

October 2nd, 2017 at 6:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Despite some optimism about a potential court ruling on Monday, the Ezekiel Elliott saga is ongoing. If things are still in limbo by the end of business Tuesday, we still don’t know whether or not the NFL will allow the Cowboys running back to play, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. There will be no decision from the league on that matter until the judge makes his decision. The Cowboys are set to face the Packers on Sunday afternoon in Dallas.

Here’s more from the East divisions:

  • Jets coach Todd Bowles says he hasn’t made a decision yet on wide receiver Jalin Marshall, who is eligible to return after serving a four-game suspension (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini). There may not be a place for Marshall on the team at this time, so it is a situation to monitor. Already, the Jets have five receivers on the roster in Jeremy Kerley, Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse, ArDarius Stewart, and Chad Hansen with Kerley handling punts and Stewart on kickoff return duty.
  • The x-rays came back negative on the ribs of Giants running back Paul Perkins and a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) that he likely just bruised them. Perkins’ pain tolerance for pain will now dictate whether he misses time.
  • Bills head coach Sean McDermott says safety Colt Anderson will need surgery for his forearm (Twitter link via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW). Anderson has yet to see time on defense but is a regular on special teams. The injury will likely land him on IR.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Cousins, Paea

July 9th, 2017 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the NFC after rounding up a few AFC rumors earlier today:

  • An article from Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com could have been construed to indicate that Buccanneers RB Charles Sims is a long-shot to make the team’s 53-man roster, but Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times says he would be surprised if Sims is cut, especially before Doug Martin returns from suspension in Week 4 (Twitter link). Auman adds (via Twitter) that Smith’s article probably meant to suggest that Blake Sims, not Charles, is a long-shot to make the roster. Indeed, Smith’s piece discusses how well-stocked Tampa Bay is at running back, and he suggests Charles Sims is one of the reasons the Bucs can field a solid RB group even without Martin. Smith later confirmed Auman’s interpretation via Twitter.
  • In addition to running back, the Buccaneers also have intriguing position battles at slot corner, safety, and kicker, as Roy Cummings of FanRagSports.com writes.
  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com examines the long-term outlook for the Redskins, and it’s a fairly promising one, at least on offense. He looks at a possible snapshot of the offense going into training camp in the year 2020, and of the 11 players he mentions — most of whom are good, very good, or at least have a lot of upside — 10 of them are already starters. While it would be foolish to expect all of those players to be in Washington in 2020, the fact remains that the team does have a talented offensive core that has the potential to stay around for a long time.
  • Tandler tweets that there is a slim chance the Redskins and QB Kirk Cousins can work out a multi-year deal by the July 17 deadline, but he confirms what we have known all along, which is that Cousins’ long-term future with the club probably won’t be settled until March 2018.
  • The Cowboys signed Stephen Paea to a one-year, $2MM deal this offseason, and though the big DT struggled the past two years in Washington and Cleveland, Dallas believes he can return to form in 2017. As Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes, Paea will be reuniting with Rod Marinelli, whom he worked under during his best years in Chicago, and his skill-set is well-suited to the Cowboys’ 4-3 defense.
  • Paul Perkins will be the Giants‘ starting running back this year, but as James Kratch of NJ.com writes, Perkins will be more of the lead back in a committee rather than a bell-cow. Kratch says Shane Vereen will get his share of carries, and Orleans Darkwa, Wayne Gallman, and Shaun Draughn all figure to be in the mix as well.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Cards, Lions

June 8th, 2017 at 5:58pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent linebacker Daryl Washington says that he has been in conversations with a few clubs, though he hopes to land with his “hometown team,” the Cowboys (Twitter link via SiriusXM). In an interview on Wednesday, Washington made a case for why the Cowboys should sign him. It’s not clear if Dallas has real interest in the linebacker, particularly since he has not played a down of football since 2013. On the flipside, he was a Pro Bowl caliber player when he was at his best in Arizona.

More on Dallas and a few other NFC clubs:

  • The Giants regard Paul Perkins a three-down running back, per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, who points out that their opinion of Perkins explains why they didn’t make a splash at the position in free agency. Perkins averaged 4.1 yards per carry on 112 attempts during his rookie year and is now the clear favorite to start over the likes of Shane Vereen, Orleans Darkwa, Shaun Draughn and Wayne Gallman. “I really like what Paul Perkins has been doing so far,” said RBs coach Craig Johnson. “He ended last season playing like a guy that is ready to take over the job. There is nothing so far in the offseason to show he’s not going to be able to handle that role. But that is today. It’s a long way from today to the opening game.”
  • Cardinals GM Steve Keim says he’s still looking to add a handful of veterans to the mix this summer, as Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com writes. “(Team president) Michael [Bidwill] and I talked about six to eight players, who are still on the street, who could potentially come in and help us,” Keim said in an appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7. Urban speculates that Arizona could look into reinforcements at cornerback or even guard if Evan Boehm doesn’t keep moving forward. A running back could also be in order if Andre Ellington and/or Eli Penny disappoint.
  • The Cowboys will not be signing any of the players that auditioned for them on Thursday, according to Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star Telegram (on Twitter). That group included quarterback Ryan Nassib and safety Jeron Johnson. The Cowboys will stick with Zac Dysert as a third-string QB for the time being.
  • Wide receiver Jared Abbrederis has emerged as a candidate to earn a roster spot with the Lions since signing a reserve/futures contract in January, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The former Packer has impressed during OTAs, and the Lions have open spots at receiver behind Golden Tate, Marvin Jones and third-round pick Kenny Golladay. “The guy’s a really good route runner — very, very good just in terms of his ability to find open areas,” coach Jim Caldwell said of Abbrederis. “He has good spatial awareness.” The 26-year-old Abbrederis was a return man during his time at Wisconsin, which could further help his cause in cracking Detroit’s roster, notes Meinke.

Giants Sign Eli Apple, Other Draftees, 14 UDFAs

May 6th, 2016 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a busy morning for the Giants as their rookie minicamp opens. The team announced today that it has signed four draft picks, including first-round cornerback Eli Apple, along with 14 undrafted free agents.Eli Apple

In addition to locking up Apple, the Giants have signed second-round wide receiver Sterling Shepard, fifth-round running back Paul Perkins, and sixth-round tight end Jerell Adams. Only the team’s third- and fourth-round picks – safety Darian Thompson and linebacker B.J. Goodson – remain unsigned.

Apple’s four-year rookie contract will feature a fifth-year option for 2020, and is worth $15.152MM in total, including a $9.22MM signing bonus. The other rookie deals are far more modest, including Shepard’s, which has a total value of $5.945MM, with a $2.523MM signing bonus.

Here’s the complete list of 14 undrafted free agents that have joined the Giants:

Draft Notes: Latest Declarations

December 30th, 2015 at 5:19pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A quick look at the latest college players who will head for the 2016 NFL Draft:

  • Indiana defensive tackle Darius Latham has declared, according to Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman (Twitter link).
  • Auburn defensive lineman Carl Lawson will enter the draft, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
  • UCLA running back Paul Perkins announced his draft intentions via Twitter.
  • Fellow Baylor teammates expect defensive tackle Andrew Billings and cornerback Xavien Howard to depart school in favor of the draft, Pauline tweets.
  • Marshall defensive back Corey Tindal also tweeted that he will enter the draft.
  • San Diego State cornerback Damontae Kazee announced that he’s headed for the pros, Kirk Kenney of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes.
  • San Jose State defensive back Cleveland Wallace III joined International Sports Agency (Twitter link).