HEADLINES

Rod Smith

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/10/15

October 10th, 2015 at 6:19pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s round up Saturday’s minor moves, which we’ll keep updated throughout the day:

  • A week ago, the Buccaneers cut tackle Reid Fragel from their active roster, with Sunday’s game around the corner. Today, the Bucs brought Fragel back into the mix, promoting him to replace guard Matthew Masifilo, who has been waived, according to a team release. With starting center Evan Smith not expected to play and guard Logan Mankins listed as questionable, Fragel could be forced into action if Tampa Bay’s offensive line gets hit with injuries again this weekend.

Earlier updates:

  • The Jaguars signed linebacker Jordan Tripp from their practice squad and waived/injured linebacker John Lotulelei to make room, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union reports (on Twitter). Tripp played in 13 games for the Dolphins last year after the team drafted him in the fifth round out of Montana. Miami waived Tripp prior to the season. A third-year UDFA, Lotulelei played in 14 games as a rookie in 2013 for the Seahawks and Jaguars and four this season for Jacksonville.
  • The Cowboys have promoted wideout Vince Mayle from the practice squad, tweets Todd Archer of ESPN.com. The receiver will replace pass-catching back Lance Dunbar, who was placed on injured reserve earlier today. Mayle, a former fourth-round pick out of Washington State, has yet to make an NFL appearance.
  • The Seahawks have promoted running back Rod Smith from the practice squad, tweets ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Marshawn Lynch isn’t expected to play Sunday, and Fred Jackson is battling through an injured ankle. Smith, an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State, compiled 549 yards and eight touchdowns during his college career.

Tharold Simon Out For Season

October 10th, 2015 at 3:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

After enduring a setback in his recovery from a dislocated toe, Tharold Simon will miss the rest of the season, Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk reports.

Simon dislocated a toe the Friday before the regular season began but played in the Seahawks’ Week 2 loss to the Packers. The third-year cornerback, however, struggled in his recovery from this ailment, leading to Seattle to place him on season-ending injured reserve.

The Seahawks promoted running back Rod Smith from their practice squad in his stead.

Per Crabtree, Simon continues to re-dislocate the injured toe, which led to the Seahawks shutting him down.

The 24-year-old former fifth-round pick out of LSU played as a reserve for the NFC champions in the playoffs last season, making five tackles against the Panthers in the divisional playoffs. He started five games during the 2014 regular season, however.

Marcus Burley and Tye Smith are the Seahawks’ only remaining backup corners on the active roster, but each is struggling with injuries. Burley recently underwent surgery to repair a broken thumb and Smith a hip injury, respectively, so corresponding additions or adjustments to compensate for a lack of depth are likely forthcoming. Jeremy Lane remains out with a torn ACL sustained during Super Bowl XLIV.

Safety Steven Terrell will fill in as a cornerback backup, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports.

Extra Points: Palmer, Seahawks, Spiller, McCoy, Bengals

October 9th, 2015 at 9:21pm CST by Zachary Links

At the age of 35, Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer isn’t committing to anything beyond this season, Dan Pompei of Bleacher Report writes. However, he is committing entirely to this season.

“I think my realization that the window is closing and my career is not going to go on for a long time, that has changed a little of my approach,” he said. “I’ve always been pretty intense, but I think everybody gets to that point where you realize, man, I only have a couple left. That definitely has changed me a little bit.”

  • The Seahawks have injury issues with Marshawn Lynch ruled out for this Sunday’s game against the Bengals, but Fred Jackson is likely to play, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter). They also have Rod Smith on the practice squad, and could move him to the active roster for depth (via Twitter). The team is considering moving Tharold Simon to injured reserve to make room (via Twitter).
  • The Saints offense took a hit in terms of explosiveness when they traded Darren Sproles to the Eagles, but they have a new playmaker in the backfield with free agent pickup C.J. Spiller, writes Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. The team is hoping he keeps the threat of the big play alive when he is on the field.
  • Although he has been trying to play each week so far, Bills running back LeSean McCoy could miss an additional three games with a hamstring injury he described as a “grade-two pull,” according to CSNPhilly.com.
  • The Bengals earned a reputation as a cheap operation over the years but they have turned things around in a major way. CBSSports.com’s Joel Corry looked at the changes made in Cincinnati that have turned the franchise around, leading to their 4-0 start. The Bengals are built primarily with homegrown talent as 47 of the 58 players on the current roster. Only the Packers, another top team, have a higher percentage of homegrown talent.

Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC West

September 6th, 2015 at 5:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC West 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 Cardinals, 49ers, Seahawks, and Rams 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 NFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Arizona Cardinals

San Francisco 49ers

  • Signed to practice squad (link via Matt Maiocco):
    • WR DiAndre Campbell
    • CB Marcus Cromartie
    • RB Kendall Gaskins
    • DT Kaleb Ramsey
    • OLB Marcus Rush
    • NT Garrison Smith
    • QB Dylan Thompson
    • OG Andrew Tiller (Twitter link via Matt Barrows)
    • S Jermaine Whitehead (Twitter link via Barrows)

Seattle Seahawks

St. Louis Rams

  • Signed to practice squad:

Seahawks Confirm McCray Trade, Set Roster

September 5th, 2015 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks have confirmed one of their two recently-reported acquisitions, announcing that they’ve traded for safety Kelcie McCray, sending a fifth-round draft pick to the Chiefs in the swap, as we heard earlier. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the deal for McCray is a public sign of what the team has privately told Kam Chancellor: Seattle isn’t willing to negotiate with him.

We’re still awaiting official word on Seattle’s reported agreement with running back Fred Jackson, so an additional cut will be required when that move is finalized. For now though, the Seahawks are down to 53 players. Via a team release, here’s how they got there:

Released:

  • CB Will Blackmon
  • TE Anthony McCoy

Waived:

  • LB Tyrell Adams
  • TE Rashaun Allen
  • QB R.J. Archer
  • DE Obum Gwacham
  • S Keenan Lambert
  • S Ronald Martin
  • DT T.Y. McGill
  • CB Douglas McNeil
  • OL Keavon Milton
  • S Ryan Murphy
  • OL Will Pericak
  • LB Eric Pinkins
  • OL Terry Poole
  • LB Alex Singleton
  • WR Kevin Smith
  • RB Rod Smith
  • DE Julius Warmsley
  • WR Kasen Williams

Placed on injured reserve:

  • CB Mohammed Seisay
  • RB Robert Turbin

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:

  • DT Jesse Williams

Seahawks Agree To Terms With 12 UDFAs

May 2nd, 2015 at 9:23pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Seahawks have reached agreements with 12 undrafted free agents, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links here). The full list:

  • Nate Boyer, LS, Texas
  • Jesse Davis, OT, Idaho
  • Austin Hill, WR, Arizona
  • Keenan Lambert, SS, Norfolk State ($10k bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Ronald Martin, SS, LSU
  • Quayshawn Nealy, LB, Georgia Tech
  • Thomas Rawls, RB, Central Michigan
  • Trovon Reed, CB, Auburn
  • Alex Singleton, LB, Montana State
  • Tory Slater, DE, West Georgia
  • Rod Smith, RB, Ohio State
  • Triston Wade, FS, Texas-San Antonio