HEADLINES

Ray Ray Armstrong

49ers Claim Ray-Ray Armstrong; Dorsey To IR

November 25th, 2015 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 3:22pm: The 49ers have officially placed Dorsey on season-ending IR, using the newly-opened roster spot to claim former Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong off waivers, the team announced today in a press release.

Armstrong, who illegally taunted a police dog before a game against the Steelers earlier this month, served as a backup linebacker and special-teamer for Oakland. The 24-year-old played under current 49ers linebackers coach Jason Tarver last year, when Tarver was the Raiders’ defensive coordinator.

MONDAY, 3:20pm: It’s been a disappointing year for the 49ers, and that trend continued today, as the team received another piece of bad injury news. According to Rand Getlin of the NFL Network (Twitter link), defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey suffered a torn ACL on Sunday and will miss the rest of the season.

Dorsey, 30, joined the Niners prior to the 2013 season, and had a very strong first year with the club, totaling 50 tackles and a pair of sacks as the starting nose tackle. After missing 2014 with a biceps injury, the former first-round pick hasn’t had quite the same impact for San Francisco this year, with 18 tackles and no sacks in 10 games (seven starts).

Still, Dorsey’s absence will be felt by a squad that has seen plenty of departures on its defensive line within the last calendar year. With Dorsey out of action for most of Sunday’s game, Thomas Rawls ran wild on the Niners, piling up more than 200 yards on the ground for the Seahawks.

With Dorsey headed to IR, players like Tony Jerod-Eddie, Tank Carradine, and rookie Arik Armstead are candidates to take on increased roles.

AFC West Notes: Broncos, Miller, Chargers

November 19th, 2015 at 9:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the AFC West:

  • Gil Brandt of NFL.com ran down six pending free agents who should be retained by their current teams and six who should be allowed to walk away. Both Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller and Broncos quarterback Brock Osweiler landed in the keeper pile. Miller, 26, is a cornerstone of the Broncos’ elite defense and he has compiled 54 sacks since going No. 2 overall in the 2011 draft. Osweiler, meanwhile, hasn’t really gotten to show his stuff, but Brandt writes that he is a solid athlete with a ton of potential.
  • Wide receiver Tyrell Williams is likely to be promoted from the Chargers‘ practice squad to the active roster by Saturday afternoon, Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego writes. Williams is likely to get the opportunity with veteran Malcom Floyd still nursing a torn labrum. For his part, Williams is thankful for everything he has learned from Floyd. “It’s been awesome, especially on the field,” Williams said of learning behind Floyd. “I can see how to get in and out of my breaks from another guy who has long strides. I just try to copy everything that he’s been doing, whether it’s on the field or off the field. It’s been awesome.”
  • Both the Alleghany County sheriff and prosecutor believe that Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong was not acting with malice when he taunted a police dog earlier this month, as The Associated Press writes. That bodes well for Armstrong, who theoretically could have been facing third-degree felony chargers. Police alleged that Armstrong lifted his shirt, pounded his chest, and barked at a police dog before telling its handler to let it off the leash. The local D.A. will consult with authorities in California, but it doesn’t sound like much will come of those talks at this point.

West Notes: Armstrong, Floyd, Welker

November 11th, 2015 at 3:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Police are looking into whether Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong illegally taunted a police dog before a game against the Steelers on Sunday, as an Associated Press report outlines. Chief Deputy Kevin Kraus says a player lifted his shirt, beat his chest and barked at the K-9 before telling a deputy to release the dog. Needless to say, the deputy did not follow Armstrong’s orders.

Taunting a police dog is a third-degree felony in Pennsylvania, so the consequences could potentially be severe for the linebacker. It’s not a concern for Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio though, who downplayed the story during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via FOX Sports).

“I’ve caught wind of this story. I’m going to put it in the ‘silly’ category,” Del Rio said. “I think once the facts come to light I don’t think there’s going to be much of an issue. I wouldn’t make too much of it.”

Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:

  • Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd suffered a torn labrum on Monday night, a source tells Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (Twitter link). According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Floyd plans to rehab the injury and “see how it goes,” with the hopes of playing through it. The 34-year-old has previously stated that 2015 will be his final season in the NFL, so it would be an unfortunate end if he had to shut it down early.
  • In his latest column for Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman examines the Rams‘ decision to sign Wes Welker, and – more importantly – Welker’s decision to continue his NFL career despite possible health risks. Freeman hears from a source that Welker has “taken great care of his finances,” and is returning to action because he doesn’t want to stop playing yet, not because he needs the money.
  • Linebacker Nico Johnson, who signed yesterday with the Giants’ practice squad, also had a workout this week with the Rams, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
  • Wilson also passes along the names of several players who auditioned for the Seahawks this week, including tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Jake Heaps, defensive lineman Glenn Foster, safety Jonathan Dowling, and cornerback Keon Lyn (Twitter link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Raiders Claim Ray-Ray Armstrong

October 7th, 2014 at 5:04pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders announced that they have claimed linebacker Ray Ray Armstrong off waivers from the Rams. To make room on the roster, the Raiders have placed fellow linebacker Kaluka Maiava on the reserve/injured list. The moves were first reported by Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), respectively.

Armstrong, a University of Miami product, was originally signed by the Rams as an UDFA in May of last year. The 25-year-old made the team out of training camp and appeared in 16 games as a rookie, playing primarily on special teams. He led the team with 12 special teams stops in 2013 and this season he saw action in four games before being waived.

Maiava, 27, has been hampered by a hamstring injury this season but has appeared in all four of the Raiders’ games with two starts to his credit. Over six seasons with the Browns and Raiders, Maiava has amassed 147 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Minor Moves: Monday

October 6th, 2014 at 6:35pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here….

  • The Packers will welcome back offensive lineman Jordan McCray on their practice squad, according to the FXFL’s Twitter account. Wes Hodkiewicz of the Press Gazette (on Twitter) notes that the Packers had a spot open on the practice squad, so no corresponding move is necessary.
  • The Giants have promoted running back Michael Cox from their practice squad to their 53-man roster, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. The move provides some backfield insurance, with Rashad Jennings expected to be sidelined through the team’s Week 8 bye.
  • After seeing another center go down with an injury, the Chargers are set to sign center Trevor Robinson off the Bengals’ practice squad, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). San Diego opened up a roster spot today by placing Doug Legursky on the injured reserve list, as noted below.
  • The Rams have waived linebacker Ray Ray Armstrong, who had been a key contributor on the special teams unit, tweets Brian McIntyre.

Earlier updates:

  • Wideout Kevin Dorsey has been promoted to the Packers‘ 53-man roster from their practice squad, tweets Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Former Utah State defensive back Tay Glover-Wright is taking Dorsey’s spot on the taxi squad, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
  • The Saints have waived 2014 fourth-round pick Khairi Fortt, a source tells Field Yates of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link). It’s a somewhat surprising move, since Fortt hasn’t really had an opportunity to play yet, and his release won’t open up a roster spot, since the club had used its injured reserve/designated to return spot on him.
  • Safety Jakar Hamilton was activated today by the Cowboys, who waived linebacker Keith Smith to make room on the 53-man roster, writes Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. The team previously had a roster exemption for Hamilton, who missed the season’s first four weeks due to a suspension.
  • The Dolphins have made a series of moves, signing wide receiver Damian Williams to their 53-man roster and waiving running back Orleans Darkwa to make room (Twitter link). The team also announced that the roster exemption for previously-suspended safety Reshad Jones has been lifted, meaning he’s now officially a part of the 53-man roster (Twitter link).
  • Linebacker Marcus Benard has re-signed with the Cardinals, per Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Benard was initially signed during John Abraham‘s absence from the team, and now takes the place of Matt Shaughnessy, who was placed on injured reserve with the designation to return today.
  • In a surprising transaction, the Packers have parted ways with tight end Ryan Taylor, who hasn’t been a huge part of the club’s passing game since being drafted in the seventh round in 2011, but has been with the team since then and contributed on special teams. Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has the details on the move, which brings the Packers’ roster count down to 52.
  • The Chargers have lost another center, announcing today (via Twitter) that Doug Legursky is heading to injured reserve with a knee injury. Longtime San Diego center Nick Hardwick was previously placed on IR with an injury of his own.
  • Cornerback Brandon Browner and wideout Brian Tyms are both being formally activated by the Patriots, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). To make room for the duo, whose roster exemptions expire today, the Pats had to cut a pair of players — Shalisa Manza Young of the Boston Globe initially reported that defensive lineman Joe Vellano would be one of the two to go (Twitter link), and the team has since announced that defensive lineman Michael Buchanan is the other. Vellano has been waived, while Buchanan was placed on IR.
  • The Eagles have made a change to their practice squad, cutting wide receiver Cobi Hamilton and replacing him with safety Jordan Kovacs, the team announced today (Twitter link).
  • The Giants are releasing Trindon Holliday from IR, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The veteran kick returner was placed on IR in August with a hamstring injury.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.