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Shawn Lemon

49ers Trim Roster To 75 Players

August 31st, 2015 at 3:39pm CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers have reduced their roster count to 75 players in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, announcing a series of transactions today in a press release.

The club placed offensive lineman Daniel Kilgore on the reserve/PUP list and receiver DeAndre Smelter on the reserve/NFI list, meaning both players will be sidelined for at least six weeks. Additionally, wideout Dres Anderson and linebacker Desmond Bishop were placed on injured reserve, which will end their respective seasons, barring an eventual injury settlement.

The 49ers also waived the following players:

  • K Corey Acosta
  • LB Steve Beauharnais
  • CB Mylan Hicks
  • T Sean Hooey
  • WR Mario Hull
  • WR Chuck Jacobs
  • WR Nigel King
  • LB Shawn Lemon
  • FB Trey Millard
  • DL Lawrence Okoye

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/8/15

August 8th, 2015 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Colts made several moves along their offensive line today, adding guard Dionte Savage while waiving guard Kitt O’Brien and tackle Matt Hall (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). O’Brien lost his roster spot quickly, as he was just signed yesterday.
  • In Kansas City, the Chiefs have also been busy, signing offensive tackle Anthony Dima and receiver Adam Drake, and waiving linebacker Sage Harold and receiver Armon Binns, writes Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star.
  • The Rams have signed defensive tackle Marcus Forston, who has spent the past few years with the Patriots, tweets Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. In order to create a roster spot, the team waived running back Terrence Franks, a 2015 undrafted rookie free agent (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys have removed linebacker Justin Anderson from their injured reserve list, according to Wilson (Twitter link), who reports Dallas reached an injury settlement with Anderson. The Cowboys also cut fellow linebacker Will Smith, who, like Anderson, had been on the club’s IR.

Earlier updates:

  • The Browns signed former Ravens tryout cornerback Joe Rankin, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). A 2014 undrafted player from Division I-FCS Morgan State, Rankin worked as an overnight forklift operator to save enough money to train for another NFL opportunity.
  • Former Arena League and CFL cog Shawn Lemon signed with the 49ers, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (on Twitter). The Steelers waived the 26-year-old outside linebacker last week.
  • The Steelers have placed safety Isaiah Lewis on the waived/injured list, and they’ve signed safety Jordan Dangerfield to take his spot, the team announced (via Twitter). Lewis, a former undrafted rookie, was signed to a futures contract at the end of last season. The Michigan State product had been battling a hamstring injury for most of camp. Dangerfield has previously been with the Steelers, participating in their 2014 camp and practice squad before being signed to a futures contract. He was waived last month when Pittsburgh added offensive lineman Kelvin Palmer.
  • The Lions have waived cornerback Ethan Davis, tweets ESPN.com’s Michael Rothstein. The undrafted rookie had joined Detroit earlier this week.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/29/15

July 29th, 2015 at 9:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL…

AFC:

  • The Browns have re-signed undrafted rookie defensive back Landon Feichter, as Nate Ulrich of the Beacon-Journal writes. The 5’11”, 201-pound Feichter originally signed with the Browns on May 11 after participating in the team’s rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. He was waived on June 22. Feichter appeared in 45 games as a safety at Purdue University and tallied 234 career tackles, 10 interceptions and eight passes defensed.
  • The Steelers have removed linebacker Shawn Lemon from their roster, waiving him from the PUP list and signing defensive back Jordan Sullen to take his place, tweets PR man Burt Lauten.
  • The Ravens have waived undrafted rookie wide receiver Cam Worthy and signed Tom Nelson, who is converting from safety to wide receiver, Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Colts have signed cornerback Raymon Taylor, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter). Taylor played collegiately at Michigan.
  • The Chiefs have parted ways with running back Cyrus Gray, who finished last season on the team’s injured reserve list, tweets Wilson.
  • The Dolphins have signed defensive tackle Calvin Barnett, wide receiver Kai De La Cruz, offensive tackle Chris Martin, and waived defensive lineman Ellis McCarthy, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (on Twitter).
  • Fullback James Develin, who received an exclusive rights qualifying offer from the Patriots way back in March, has finally signed it today, according to Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
  • After clearing waivers, wide receiver James Wright has been placed on the IR by the Bengals, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

NFC:

  • The Falcons have signed offensive lineman Demarcus Love, bringing the roster up to 90 players, the team announced today in a press release. Love, who finished last season on the Broncos’ practice squad, worked out for the Browns yesterday, and inked a two-year deal with Atlanta, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
  • The Buccaneers, entering the day with one open roster spot, created two more openings by cutting defensive backs Deshazor Everett and Derrick Wells, according to a team release. To get back up to 90 players, the Bucs added rookie defensive backs Jude Adjei-Barimah and Al-Hajj Shabazz and free agent safety Kimario McFadden, who spent time on the Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and Carolina practice squads in 2014
  • The Bears announced that guard Chad Hamilton, who missed a lot of time in the spring, is retiring from football, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune tweets. Hamilton has been placed on the reserve/retired list.
  • The Saints have signed long snapper Chris Highland, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune (on Twitter).
  • Having cleared waivers, Cameron Lawrence, and offensive lineman Ryan Miller have been placed on the Cowboys‘ injured reserve list, per Wilson (Twitter link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Steelers Sign Shawn Lemon

January 19th, 2015 at 4:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Steelers have agreed to terms with former Calgary Stampeders defensive end Shawn Lemon, according to agent David Canter (via Twitter). Scott Mitchell of the Calgary Sun first reported that Lemon had reached an agreement to sign with Pittsburgh.

Lemon, 26, played for multiple teams in the CFL before breaking out for the Stampeders in 2014. In addition to establishing a new career high with 13 sacks, Lemon also tied a CFL record by forcing eight fumbles during the season, playing a significant role on defense for 2014’s Grey Cup champions. The club released him from his contract today in order to allow him to make things official with the Steeelers.

“Shawn has an agreement in place with an NFL club and we are granting him his release in order to allow him to sign a contract immediately rather than waiting until February,” said Calgary GM/head coach John Hufnagel. “We wish Shawn the best of luck and thank him for his contributions to the Stampeders.”

Lemon’s deal will likely be for the minimum salary with a small signing bonus, but he should get the opportunity to earn a spot on the Steelers’ 53-man roster or practice squad in 2015. A year ago, former Stampeders pass rusher Cordarro Law, whose spot Lemon claimed in 2014, signed with the Chargers and ultimately spent most of the ’14 season on San Diego’s taxi squad.

Audition Notes: Friday

January 16th, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Duron Carter is among the busier men in the NFL right now, as the CFL receiver has worked out for a litany of teams over recent weeks in an effort to secure a contract for 2015. According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Carter has is likely finished with the audition circuit after visiting with the Browns earlier today. And despite earlier reports that the Vikings, home to Duron’s father Cris Carter for much of his career, were the favorites to land the young receiver, Goessling reports that Minnesota is the not high bidder for Carter at the moment. Here’s more workout news from around the league…

  • Carter isn’t the only CFL player making the NFL rounds, as defensive back Delvin Breaux met with both the Steelers (Twitter link via Howard Balzer) and the Jaguars (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN). Per Caplan (on Twitter), Breaux has several more visits lined up, and is scheduled to meet with the Browns, Dolphins, Falcons, and Saints, while the Eagles and Jets also maintain interest.
  • The Panthers brought in quarterback Dominique Davis for a workout, tweets Caplan. Davis, 25, was a reserve for the Falcons from 2012-13, and spent time with the Titans and Colts last season.
  • The Titans, like all teams, are aiming to fill out their offseason roster, and worked out the following players today in that vein, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link): LaVon Brazill, David Fluellen, Jacoby Ford, Clyde Gates, Phillip Hunt, Shawn Lemon, Joe Morgan, Keith Price, and Chase Rettig. Brazill is probably the most notable name among the list, as he was set to play a meaningful role in the Colts’ offense before being suspended and migrating to the CFL.
  • Before signing Mitchell Van Dyk yesterday, the Steelers also worked out fellow punters Tom Hornsey and Richie Leone, in addition to defensive tackle Kheeston Randall, per Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Bills auditioned offensive lineman Matt Armstrong today, tweets Wilson.

Workout Notes: Saturday

January 10th, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Ben Levine

We’ll keep track of today’s workout information right here, as well as a couple of notes from the past couple of days. All of the information below is via the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson on Twitter…

  • The Chiefs worked out wide receivers John Chiles and Cordell Roberson, cornerback Aaron Hester and defensive lineman Shawn Lemon.
  • The Chiefs also brought in defensive back Jalil Carter and wide receivers LaVon Brazill, Duron Carter and Joe Morgan. Brazill, a former sixth-round pick by the Colts, showed some flashes playing with Andrew Luck early in his career. Morgan was released by the Saints earlier this season, while Carter appears to have numerous suitors (with the Vikings seen as the favorite to sign him).
  • The Seahawks also brought in Lemon for a workout, and he joined quarterback Dominique Davis and cornerback Keon Lyn at the tryout. Wilson notes that defensive back Delvin Breaux was also brought in “for a visit.”
  • The Packers worked out CFL defensive back Jalil Carter. The former Akron standout briefly spend time with the Rams and in the AFL.
  • The Giants brought in five players for workouts: linebackers Terrance Bullitt and Phillip Hunt, safety Mistral Raymond, fullback Collin Mooney and tight end Michael Flacco.
  • The Steelers worked out a trio of offensive weapons: quarterback Aaron Smetanka, running back David Fluellen and wideout L’Damian Washington.

Workout Updates: Wednesday

December 24th, 2014 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Although NFL teams have been working out players all season, most of this week’s auditions will be conducted with an eye on the future, since clubs will soon be able to start signing players to reserve/futures deals for the 2015 season. Listed below are the most recently reported workouts from around the league, with all links pointed to Aaron Wilson’s Twitter account, unless otherwise indicated…

  • Prior to signing long snapper Charley Hughlett, the Browns auditioned several other long snappers, taking a look at Dax Dellenbach, Brandon Hartson, and Luke Ingram. The club also worked out defensive tackle Torell Troup.
  • While the Raiders elected to sign linebacker Justin Jackson to their practice squad yesterday, the team also tried out fellow linebacker Terrance Bullitt. Bullitt reached an agreement as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens in May, but it fell through due to a shoulder issue.
  • The Vikings brought in defensive end Leon Mackey and linebacker Justin Anderson for tryouts this week — the latter ended up signing to Minnesota’s practice squad.
  • A pair of running backs and a pair of defensive backs worked out for the Falcons this week. Atlanta opted to sign RB Ronnie Wingo and DB Brandan Bishop to its taxi squad, passing on RB Michael Ford and DB Malcolm Branson.
  • In addition to working out for the Jaguars this week, defensive end Shawn Lemon auditioned for the Colts.
  • Undrafted free agent center Jared Wheeler tried out for the Buccaneers, along with kicker Travis Coons, wide receiver Derrick Johnson, defensive back Shelton Johnson, and offensive linemen Adrian Battles, Stetson Burnett, Brett Van Sloten, and Brett Jones.
  • The Seahawks auditioned wide receivers Lamont Bryant, Mike Davis, Jeremy Gallon, and Douglas McNeil, along with ex-Ravens outside linebacker Michael McAdoo, per Wilson. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Seattle also looked at quarterback Brett Smith, who was waived by the Buccaneers in May.
  • Caplan also passes along word of one more workout, tweeting that former seventh-round kicker Zach Hocker tried out for the 49ers.

Workout Updates: Tuesday

December 23rd, 2014 at 2:57pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s workouts here..

  • Cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke and former 49ers and Chiefs wide receiver Kyle Williams auditioned for the Titans, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • Former Rams wide receiver Austin Pettis worked out for the 49ers on Monday, according to Caplan (via Twitter).
  • Defensive end Kenny Horsley auditioned for the 49ers, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • The Titans worked out former rugby star Carlin Isles, quarterback Seth Lobato, Van Dyke, and Williams, according to Wilson (on Twitter). Ri’Shard Anderson was a part of the same workout and wound up getting signed to the taxi squad.
  • Washington worked out nose tackle Junior Aumavae, wide receivers Jamar Howard, Kemonte Bateman, Darius Reynolds, and Braylon Bell, quarterbacks Tajh Boyd, and Dominique Davis, defensive tackles John Drew, Lakendrick Ross, and Michael Brooks, and fullback Jordan Campbell, Wilson tweets. Washington also hosted linebacker James Gayle for a visit (link).
  • The Jaguars worked out defensive end Shawn Lemon and safety Ian Wild, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
  • The Broncos worked out punter Brock Miller, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
  • The Jets worked out wide receiver Joe Morgan, quarterback Bryn Renner, ex-CFL quarterback Eric Ward, wideout Greg Childs, quarterback Dominique Davis, linebacker Brandon Denmark, former Lions cornerback Aaron Hester, Wilson tweets.

Workout Notes: Wednesday

December 17th, 2014 at 7:57pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s workouts, auditions, visits, pow-wows, get togethers, tryouts, and pop-ins..

  • The Raiders worked out former Saints wide receiver Joe Morgan, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Saints worked out offensive lineman Will Simmons and Andre Miller, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • The Buccaneers worked out linebacker Brandon Denmark, safety M.D. Jennings, and defensive back Jocquel Skinner , Wilson tweets. The Bucs also tried out defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, who wound up being signed to the active roster, and defensive back Varmah Sonie, who has joined their taxi squad.
  • Defensive end Sammy Brown visited the Buccaneers, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks worked out former Memphis defensive linemen Johnnie Farms, Marcus Forston, Rufus Johnson, Zach Minter, Brandon Moore, Will Pericak, Andru Pulu, and Jared Wheeler, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Cardinals tried out defensive end Shawn Lemon, wide receiver Jalil Carter, and defensive back Delvin Breaux, according to Wilson (on Twitter).

AFC West Notes: Streater, Mathews, Workouts

December 11th, 2014 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Having carried 52 players instead of 53 since Tuesday, it appeared as if the Raiders were saving a roster spot for wide receiver Rod Streater, who received the designation to return earlier in the year, and is now eligible to come off the IR list. However, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that Streater will be inactive for the rest of the season, rehabbing his foot injury and preparing for the 2015 campaign. That means that open spot on Oakland’s 53-man roster will likely be used on another player.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC West….

  • After five up and down seasons in San Diego, Ryan Mathews will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the running back’s time left with the Chargers can be measured in weeks. In Acee’s view, Mathews’ injury history should have the team looking for other options, in spite of the 27-year-old’s obvious talents.
  • We previously heard that the Broncos worked out former Dolphins quarterback Seth Lobato this week, but the team auditioned a dozen more players, including five wide receivers, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The full list: WR Chandler Jones, WR Jeremy Kelley, WR Alex Neutz, WR Kerry Taylor, WR Kyle Williams, RB Tim Cornett, RB Turner Petersen, TE Jake Byrne, TE Xavier Grimble, OL Bruce Doyle, OL Andrew Miller, and DE Shawn Lemon.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along details on the Raiders‘ most recent visits and workouts, in a pair of tweets: Oakland tried out tight end running backs Terrance Cobb and Ronnie Wingo, as well as wide receiver Clyde Gates. The club also received a visit from running back David Fluellen.
  • The Chiefs worked out wide receiver Corbin Louks and defensive end Zach Thompson, Wilson adds in another tweet.
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