Robert Herron

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/26/16

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Buccaneers have signed former FSU cornerback Javien Elliott and safety Kimario McFadden, as freelance reporter Jenna Laine tweets.
  • The Raiders announced that they have waived wideout Robert Herron. The 23-year-old has also spent time with the Buccaneers and Dolphins, compiling 58 yards and one touchdown with Tampa Bay in 2014.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets that the Packers have cut quarterback Ryan Williams and replaced him with Marquise Williams. The team’s new 6-2 signal-caller out of North Carolina will join a quarterback grouping that includes Aaron Rodgers, Brett Hundley, and Joe Callahan.
  • Bengals kicker Jonathan Brown has been transferred to the injured reserve, tweets Wilson. The former Kentucky soccer standout went unclaimed after having been waived-injured.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/24/16

We’ll keep track of today’s draft signings and other minor moves here:

  • The Dolphins agreed to terms with two members of their draft class today, signing third-round receiver Leonte Carroo and seventh-round tight end Thomas Duarte, as Wilson reports (Twitter link). Miami now only has third-round running back Kenyan Drake left to sign, as PFR’s Zach Links detailed when looking at unsigned 2016 draftees earlier today.
  • The Lions waived offensive lineman Darius Johnson on Tuesday, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press adds (via Twitter) that Johnson was waived with an injury waiver designation. Johnson, a Middle Tennessee State product, signed with Detroit following the team’s rookie minicamp.
  • The Chargers placed safety Matt Daniels on the injured reserve list with a leg injury, Eric Williams of ESPN.com tweets. Daniels appeared in only one game for San Diego last season. Former Michigan linebacker James Ross has been signed to fill Daniel’s void, a source tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link).
  • After signing as an undrafted free agent out of UTSA, edge rusher Jason Neill was waived today by the Cowboys, according to Wilson (Twitter link). To replace Neil, Dallas signed fellow defensive end Zach Wood, tweets Wilson.
  • The Panthers placed tight end Jake McGee on waivers with an injury designation last week, and after reverting to injured reserve, McGee has now been cut from IR with an injury settlement, per Wilson (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • The Bills have signed second-round linebacker Reggie Ragland, according to his agents at Vanguard Sports (on Twitter). Ragland was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 97 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, and six pass breakups. GM Doug Whaley has said that he expects to see Ragland in the starting lineup to begin the 2016 season.
  • The Raiders announced that they have signed free agent wide receivers Robert Herron and Nathan Palmer. To make room, the Raiders have waived/injured wide receiver Andre Debose and waived quarterback Garrett Gilbert. Palmer auditioned for New Orleans last week alongside a handful of notable names, including Hakeem Nicks. Herron was originally selected by the Bucs in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played in eight games his rookie season, posting six receptions for 58 yards (9.7 avg.) and one touchdown.
  • The Browns signed undrafted free agent wide receiver David Richards, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The Arizona product first hooked on with Atlanta after the draft but was waived soon after.
  • The Jets waived tight end Jerome Cunningham and signed running back Romar Morris, as Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.
  • The Buccaneers have placed safety Johnny Lowdermilk on the reserved-retired list, creating a second opening on the 90-man roster, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/28/16

While we prepare for the start of the 2016 NFL draft, teams around the league are still tweaking their rosters. Here are today’s minor moves:

  • The Ravens have officially re-signed guard/tackle De’Ondre Wesley, the team announced (Twitter link). Wesley had been an exclusive rights free agent, so he wasn’t going anywhere after being tendered by Baltimore.
  • The Dolphins announced today (via Twitter) that they’ve cut defensive back Damarr Aultman, wide receivers Tyler Davis and Robert Herron, defensive tackle Robert Thomas, and linebacker Terrell Manning. Of those players, only Manning – as a vested veteran – will immediately hit the open market, while the rest will have to pass through waivers.
  • The Seahawks have signed defensive end Tavaris Barnes, per Mike Kaye of First Coast News (on Twitter). Former Oregon tight end Brandon Williams also inked a one-year pact with the Seahawks, according to his agent Angelo Wright (Twitter link).
  • Having made two additions to their roster, the Seahawks also removed a player, according to Dov Kleiman of RantSports, who tweets that quarterback Phillip Sims has been waived. Seattle had signed Sims to a reserve/futures contract back in January.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/5/16

Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters.

Arizona Cardinals

  • Taylor Boggs, C (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
  • Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, C
  • Mike Reilly, OLB
  • Tyrequek Zimmerman, S

Baltimore Ravens

  • Jerod Johnson, QB (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

  • Burton Pierce, OT
  • Ben Heenan, G
  • Edwin Jackson, LB
  • Kitt O’Brien, G
  • Dezmen Southward, DB
  • Joshua Stangby. WR

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

  • Garrett Gilbert, QB (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
  • Giorgio Tavecchio, K

San Diego Chargers

San Francisco 49ers

  • Corey Acosta, K (link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)

St. Louis Rams

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/13/15

Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

San Francisco 49ers

St. Louis Rams

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bucs Cut Michael Koenen, Get Down To 75

10:22am: The Bucs have confirmed Koenen’s release and announced four more roster moves, to get down to the required 75 players. Here are Tampa Bay’s other Tuesday transactions, per a team release:

Waived/injured:

  • G Josh Allen
  • WR Robert Herron
  • CB Leonard Johnson

Placed on reserve/PUP list:

  • DT Akeem Spence

8:09am: The Buccaneers have made a change on their special teams unit, according to Rick Stroud and Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, who report (via Twitter) that the club has released veteran punter Michael Koenen. As a vested veteran, Koenen will avoid waivers and will become a free agent immediately.

The Bucs brought in multiple punters this offseason to challenge Koenen, and while Spencer Lanning didn’t make the cut, it appears the team likes what it has seen from newcomer Jacob Schum. Unless another move is forthcoming, Schum looks likely to open to the regular season as Tampa Bay’s punter.

Koenen, 33, had been set to earn a $3.25MM base salary in 2014 after ranking as just the 23rd-best and 24th-best punter in the NFL over the last two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required). Because he had no prorated signing bonus money left on his deal, Koenen won’t leave any dead money on the Bucs’ books, so the team clears his entire $3.25MM cap charge for this year and for 2016.

NFC South Notes: Bucs, Panthers, Saints

The NFL is a grown man’s league, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken notice.

First-round receiver Mike Evans and second-round tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins both stand 6 feet 5, imposing figures amongst their defensive counterparts. Both players have basketball backgrounds. As the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud writes, the Bucs and coach Lovie Smith like their basketball players.

“My experience is that anybody can’t go out there and play basketball,” Smith said. “It takes a good athlete with quickness, size, vertical (jump). Normally, that translates to getting good production on the football field.”

Stroud points out a number of former hoopsters who excelled in pro football, including Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham. Getting position on your defender in football is similar to boxing out for a rebound in basketball, and it looks like the Bucs are hoping to cash in on the trend.

More from the NFC South below…

  • With a potential opening at punt returner, Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times reports the Bucs gave third-round pick Charles Sims, sixth-round pick Robert Herron and undrafted receiver Solomon Patton a shot to impress coaches at Saturday’s minicamp.
  • The Panthers are expected to sign 6-foot-8, 320-pound tackle David Foucault, says Joseph Parson of the Charlotte Observer. The University of Montreal product impressed during the two-day rookie minicamp and figures to be the second Canadian lineman to sign with the team after coming to camp on a tryout basis.
  • The signing of former Browns receiver Greg Little has been discussed by Panthers brass, but the team is not planning to sign him at this point, two sources told Person.
  • There’s no denying the talent of Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy, says Jonathan Jones of the Observer. But, his recent actions have his future in question.
  • In a heartwarming story, Saints coach Sean Payton announced the team signed former Tulane safety Devon Walker, who was paralyzed from the neck down in 2012, Andrew Lopez of The Times-Picayune writes.
  • After spending 2013 in the Arena Football League, former LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson was on hand at Saints minicamp Saturday as a tryout invitee, Lopez reports.

Draft Signings: Jets, Pats, Saints, Chiefs

With many rookie minicamps underway, it’s clear that a good portion of the players drafted last week have been eager to get their contract situations taken care of so they can focus solely on football. Several more draftees reached agreements or signed their deals today, so let’s round up the latest….

  • No team drafted more players than the 12 the Jets selected last week, and few clubs have been more proactive about getting those draftees under contract. The club announced today in a press release that Jalen Saunders, a fourth-rounder, is the latest player to sign on the dotted line, meaning only first-round safety Calvin Pryor and two other Jets draft picks still need to ink their deals.
  • Fourth-round running back James White and seventh-round receiver Jeremy Gallon have signed with the Patriots, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. We heard earlier today that Cameron Fleming had also signed, so New England is putting a dent into its draft class.
  • In addition to confirming the previously reported signing of sixth-rounder Tavon Rooks, the Saints announced today that they’ve also locked up a pair of fifth-round picks, safety Vinnie Sunseri and linebacker Ronald Powell. Both players should receive four-year deals worth a little less than $2.4MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, and their signings mean New Orleans has secured half of its 2014 draft class.
  • Fourth-round running back and receiver De’Anthony Thomas is the latest draftee to sign with the Chiefs, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Thomas should be in line for a signing bonus of about $420K, per Fitzgerald.
  • Safety Ahmad Dixon became the fourth Cowboy taken in the seventh round to sign his rookie deal, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • According to Robert Herron himself (via Twitter), the former Wyoming receiver officially put pen to paper today for the Buccaneers, making him the first Tampa Bay draftee to sign his deal. The club has since confirmed Herron’s tweet, and noted that fifth-round pick Kadeem Edwards has also signed (Twitter link).

Florida Rumors: Jags, Matthews, Pouncey, Fins

Two Florida teams figure to have a significant impact on how next week’s top 10 draft picks play out, as the Jaguars hold the third overall pick and the Buccaneers pick seventh. This morning’s round of updates on the NFL’s Florida teams provides some insight into what direction the Jags might be leaning with that No. 3 pick, and checks in on the one Florida club not picking in the top 10 — the Dolphins. Let’s dive in….

  • After bringing in Jake Matthews for a visit last week, the Jaguars are believed to be targeting the Texas A&M offensive tackle with their third overall pick, a league source tells Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. While some teams may have Zack Martin or Taylor Lewan higher on their draft boards, Matthews and Greg Robinson are generally viewed as the top two tackles in this year’s class. Jacksonville’s pick is one of the most interesting to watch at the top of the draft, since a number of players, including Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins, and the top quarterbacks and tackles, could be fits for the club.
  • The Dolphins are expected to exercise their fifth-year option on center Mike Pouncey in advance of this weekend’s deadline, reports Omar Kelly of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Based on Pouncey’s on-field production, the $7.438MM option is a lock to be picked up, but the center’s involvement in last year’s bullying scandal complicates the decision a little.
  • Teams are no longer allowed to host players for pre-draft visits, but the Dolphins will be working out Wyoming receiver Robert Herron today and tomorrow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Donald, Vikings, Herron

Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald expressed his interest in the Cowboys, writes David Helman of DallasCowboys.com. He had particular affection for defensive line coach Rod Marinelli“He loves doing what he does, so that’s a coach I’d love to play for and learn from. Knowing he coached guys like Warren Sapp, that just gets you excited just knowing he’s got history and is one of the best to do it,” said Donald. “If I was able to play for Coach Marinelli that would be a blessing.”

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • The Vikings are expected to bring in a linebacker in the upcoming draft, writes Master Tesfatsion of StarTribune.com. The team has targeted Khalil Mack of Buffalo and Demarcus Lawrence of Boise State during recent visits, already having seen Preston Brown of Louisville and Anthony Barr of UCLA. The Vikings will also host North Dakota State offensive tackle Billy Turner.
  • The Panthers‘ quest to find a receiver in the draft continues, as the team will host Wyoming wideout Robert Herron, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The team had previously worked out Herron earlier this month.
  • The Falcons will host Brandon Watts on Tuesday, reports Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The linebacker was not a big name in the draft process before running a 4.4 40 yard dash at his Georgia Tech pro day.