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Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

October 28th, 2014 at 6:24pm CST by Luke Adams

They may not be the sort of deadline-day transactions we’re hoping for, but some teams around the league are making roster moves, adding and subtracting players from their respective practice squads. We’ll track the latest updates below:

  • The Broncos have added receiver Douglas McNeil to their practice squad, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. An Arena League standout, the 26-year-old McNeil caught 66 balls for 858 yards and 18 touchdowns in 11 games for the Portland Thunder. He takes the practice squad spot of John Boyett, who was released last week following his arrest for assault.
  • The Colts announced receiver Chandler Jones was signed to their practice squad at the expense of running back Jeff Demps. This will be Jones’ second stint with the Colts this season, while Demps’ stay with the team lasted just a week. Jones is an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State, where he is the school’s all-time leading receiver.
  • The Giants have cut linebacker Carlos Fields from their practice squad, according to NJ.com’s Jordan Raanan (via Twitter).
  • Running back Ben Malena has replaced cornerback Kendall James on the Texans‘ practice squad, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • The Rams have signed offensive tackle Steven Baker to their taxi squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The club had plenty of space to add Baker without cutting a player, but released quarterback Garrett Gilbert from the practice squad nonetheless, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.
  • Wideout Tavarres King has signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, says Caplan (via Twitter). The team doesn’t have any openings on its PS, but after today’s trades, there are two spots available on the active roster, so I imagine at least one player is in line for a promotion.

Earlier updates:

  • The Dolphins performed a bit of an overhaul on their practice squad today, adding tight end Evan Wilson, tight end Gerell Robinson, and cornerback Rashaan Melvin to replace quarterback Seth Lobato, tight end Jake Murphy, and defensive back Rod Sweeting, per Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).
  • With backup running back Stepfan Taylor expected to be sidelined for the near future, the Cardinals have added some backfield insurance via their practice squad, signing running back Zach Bauman, writes Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Cornerback Anthony Gaitor has been waived to make room for the new addition.
  • Wide receiver Jace Davis, who was with the Ravens during training camp and the preseason, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to a press release. Davis takes the 10th and final spot, which had been vacated after tight end Phillip Supernaw was promoted to the active roster on the weekend.

Sunday/Monday Transactions: AFC East

September 1st, 2014 at 10:05am CST by Luke Adams

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East 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 East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:

Buffalo Bills:

Miami Dolphins:

New England Patriots:

New York Jets:

Dolphins Bring Roster To 53

August 30th, 2014 at 4:42pm CST by Ben Levine

4:42pm: The Dolphins have whittled their roster down to 53 players, but the most important news to come out of Miami is that center Mike Pouncey, who is dealing with a hip injury, will be placed on the active roster rather than on the PUP or IR designated to return list. Pouncey will probably still miss some time, but he’ll be eligible to play as soon as he is healthy. The following players have been waived per a press release:

12:38pm: Following the Dolphins signing of Knowshon Moreno, it didn’t look particularly good for running back Daniel Thomas. Once it was clear that Moreno and Lamar Miller were the top backs on the roster, it looked even worse for the 26-year-old.

Well, as Andrew Abramson of the Palm Beach Post reports (via Twitter), the Dolphins have cut ties with Thomas. It wasn’t that long ago that he compiled 165 carries as a rookie, so there’s a chance a team may take a flyer on him.

The Dolphins also let go of 13 other players. The complete list is below:

The Dolphins have also informed defensive tackle Kemal Johnson that he will be placed on injured reserve (via Jackson’s Twitter).

Minor Moves: Tuesday

July 29th, 2014 at 8:46pm CST by Luke Adams

As August approaches, teams continue to shuffle around their 90-man rosters, making minor signings and cuts. We’ll round up Tuesday’s minor transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • The Bears signed wide receiver Dale Moss to fill out their roster, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter). Moss spent part of 2012 on the Bears’ practice squad and the early part of the 2013 offseason on Chicago’s roster.
  • Brian McIntyre (Twitter links) passes along word of a pair of waiver claims, reporting that the 49ers claimed offensive tackle Michael Philipp from the Dolphins, while the Lions were awarded wideout Quintin Payton from the Bucs. Detroit had an open roster spot, so no corresponding move was necessary to claim Payton — San Francisco has waived quarterback Kory Faulkner to make room for Philipp.
  • The Steelers have waived-injured offensive lineman David Snow, replacing him on the roster with running back Josh Harris, the team announced today (Twitter link via PR man Burt Lauten).

Earlier updates:

  • After suffering a couple injuries in the secondary recently, the Ravens have brought in a free agent defensive back, signing former Arena Leaguer Marrio Norman to a contract, the team announced today. To make room on the roster, Baltimore has cut wide receiver Gerrard Sheppard, who spent most of last season on the club’s practice squad.
  • In order to make room for the newly-signed Alfonso Smith, the 49ers have waived-injured rookie guard Fouimalo Fonoti, according to Brian McIntyre (via Twitter).
  • The Dolphins have made a series of moves this morning, signing tight end Brett Brackett, quarterback Seth Lobato and defensive end D’Aundre Reed, and waiving quarterback Brock Jensen and linebacker Derrell Johnson. Miami also waived-injured guard Davonte Wallace, according to the team (TwitLonger link). Of the six players, only Reed has seen regular-season NFL action, and his experience is limited to six active games in 2012. The release of Jensen is also notable, since he was one of the club’s more highly-touted undrafted free agents this spring.
  • Former Jets linebacker Ricky Sapp has been cut by the Texans, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that the team signed running back Tim Cornett and offensive tackle Mike Farrell. Sapp, a former fifth-round pick who was active in 10 total games last year for the Jets and Texans, will have to clear waivers before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

South Notes: Graham, Hilton, Panthers, Titans

June 13th, 2014 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

Jimmy Graham‘s hearing on the positional designation for his franchise tag is scheduled to get underway on Tuesday, and at least one Saints beat writer believes the Saints should win the decision. Larry Holder of the Times-Picayune points to Graham’s production during the rare instances when he was covered by a cornerback last season, arguing that his numbers in those cases don’t compare favorably at all to the league’s best receivers. The idea of determining a player’s value based on his position rather than his overall contributions to the team seems a little archaic to me, so I appreciate that Holder’s argument centers more around the pressure Graham puts on a defense rather than where he lines up — even if that may ultimately not affect the arbitrator’s decision. We’ll have to wait and see if the NFL management council makes a similar case during next week’s hearing.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s two South divisions:

  • After parting ways with agent Drew Rosenhaus, Colts wideout T.Y. Hilton has hired Maverick Carter and Erik Burkhardt to represent him, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Hilton still has two years left on his rookie deal.
  • In the wake of Jordan Gross‘ retirement, the Panthers still aren’t sure who will be protecting Cam Newton‘s blind side at left tackle this season, writes Steve Reed of The Associated Press.
  • Northern Colorado signal-caller Seth Lobato auditioned for the Titans yesterday, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Lobato went undrafted last month and signed with the Colts as a free agent, but was cut by the team earlier in June.
  • Former Dolphin Will Yeatman, who was converted from a tight end to an offensive lineman a couple years back, has visited the Texans this week, as well as the Vikings, according to Wilson. Yeatman is recovering from an ACL injury but is expected to be ready for the season.

Minor Moves: Broncos, Colts, Bengals, Chiefs

June 3rd, 2014 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including signings and cuts of players who haven’t seen much NFL action recently (or at all), and the retirement of a former 49ers draft pick:

  • The Broncos announced a pair of draft pick signings today, meaning they’ve locked up five of their six draftees within the last two days. Third-round offensive lineman Michael Schofield and fifth-round linebacker Lamin Barrow are the latest players to ink their rookie deals with Denver, as the club confirmed in a pair of press releases. Mike Klis of the Denver Post tweets that the Broncos also waived offensive tackle Ramon Harewood.
  • According to Craig Kelley of Colts.com (via Twitter), the Colts have cut quarterback Seth Lobato and cornerback Keon Lyn, both of whom signed with the club last month as undrafted free agents.
  • The Bengals have just one open spot left on their 90-man roster after signing offensive tackle Chandler Burden today, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. A Cincinnati-area native who played his college ball at Kentucky, Burden has previously spent time with the Dolphins and Chiefs.
  • Offensive lineman Jason Slowey, who was drafted in the sixth round in 2012 by the Niners, has announced his retirement, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Slowey had been playing for the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League.
  • The Chiefs waived offensive lineman Colin Kelly today, according to Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (via Twitter).

Colts To Sign 20 Undrafted FAs

May 12th, 2014 at 11:10am CST by Dallas Robinson

MONDAY, 11:10am: The Colts have added another name to their UDFA haul, announcing in a press release that they’ve also agreed to terms with Florida cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy.

SUNDAY, 1:44pm: The Colts have agreed to terms with 19 undrafted free agents, the team announced today in a press release. Here’s a complete list of the players heading to Indianapolis:

  • Qua Cox, CB, Jackson State
  • Marcus Hall, G, Ohio State
  • Jonotthan Harrison, C, Florida
  • Tyler Hoover, DE, Michigan State ($8K bonus, per Dave Birkett)
  • Kameron Jackson, CB, California
  • Zach Kerr, DT, Delaware
  • Seth Lobato, QB, Northern Colorado
  • Keon Lyn, CB, Syracuse
  • Dewey McDonald, S, California University of Pennsylvania
  • Gregory Moore, WR, Lane College
  • Nnamdi Obukwelu, DE, Harvard
  • Cody Parkey, K, Auburn
  • Eric Pike, T, Towson
  • Darius Polk, CB, Kent State
  • Erik Swoope, TE, Miami
  • Eric Thomas, WR, Troy
  • Zurlon Tipton, RB, Central Michigan
  • Josh Walker, G, Middle Tennessee State ($10K bonus, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Tony Washington, WR, Appalachian State

Draft Notes: Linemen, Lobato, Hughes, Boone

May 4th, 2014 at 3:41pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Few are more plugged in on scouts’ takes on draft prospects than the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Bob McGinn — yesterday, we looked at his reports on the running back class, and today we’ll examine his profiles of the available offensive lineman.

Greg Robinson was the highest rated offensive tackle, as one scout called the Auburn star “bust-proof,” and another lauded his power, punch, and speed. However, one evaluator did say Robinson might end up at right tackle rather than as a blind-side protector, and another scout said “I love [him], but what hurts him is he doesn’t know how to pass block yet. [But] [i]t’s not his fault. It’s the scheme.”

Zack Martin took the top spot among offensive guards, with one scout opining: “Love him. Not a real bulky guy. All I know is he’s got a great jam and can punch the hell out of you. Nobody beats him. Everybody keeps wanting to move him inside. Well, you better have somebody that can block those outside rushers.” Another scout stated the Notre Dame product is “as safe a pick as there is.” Among centers, Weston Richburg and Marcus Martin were given the highest grades. The entire piece is worth reading for expert opinions on prospects.

More draft notes:

  • Northern Colorado quarterback Seth Lobato is drawing some pre-draft buzz — he talked with the Patriots during his Pro Day and worked out for the Dolphins, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post.
  • We noted yesterday that Indiana receiver Kofi Hughes met with the Redskins, and now Wilson reports that he also visited with the Bears, Colts, and Bengals.
  • Late-round prospect Kadron Boone of LSU is also garnering interest, having received phone calls from about a third of the league, as per Wilson.
  • Wilson has even more, as he adds on Twitter that Minnesota State defensive end Chris Schaudt is drawing interest from teams as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
  • ESPN draft guru Todd McShay thinks Alabama offensive tackle Cyrus Kouandjio should have returned to school for the 2015 season, but allows that he could be a good value as a second-round pick, writes Andrew Gribble of Alabama.com.
  • Andrew Sachais of Philly.com uses statistical correlations to examine the value of a quarterback in the draft, and, in what is sure to be disheartening to fans pinning their hopes on newly-selected QBs, finds that there is only about a coin-flip’s chance in discovering a franchise signal-caller.