HEADLINES

Tom Compton

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/16/16

March 16th, 2016 at 7:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Falcons announced the signings of linebacker LaRoy Reynolds and offensive tackle Tom Compton (link via their website). Reynolds has spent time with the Jags and Bears since entering the league in 2013, totaling 43 appearances and four starts. Compton, Washington’s sixth-round pick in 2012, has 44 appearances and 11 starts under his belt. He amassed career highs in both categories (16 and nine, respectively) in 2014.
  • The Raiders have signed safety Brynden Trawick, according to their website. Trawick appeared in 38 games with Baltimore from 2013-15 and made one start.
  • The Bears have signed long snapper Aaron Brewer to a one-year deal, per their Twitter account. Brewer was the Broncos’ long snapper from 2012-15.
  • Seahawks linebacker Eric Pinkins signed his exclusive rights tender, according to Dov Kleiman of RantSports (Twitter link). Pinkins, a sixth-rounder in 2014, logged his first six appearances last season.
  • While the Seahawks will keep Pinkins, the same isn’t true for long snapper Clint Gresham. The club has released him, Kleiman tweets. Gresham had been Seattle’s snapper since 2010.
  • Browns safety Don Jones signed his restricted free agent tender, per Kleiman (on Twitter). Jones joined the Browns last season after spending time with three other organizations since Miami took him in the seventh round of the 2013 draft.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/15/16

March 15th, 2016 at 5:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves:

  • The Rams have re-signed tight end Cory Harkey, according to Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Harkey, whose primarily used as a blocker, saw time in all 16 regular season games in 2015. He did see some passes thrown his way, however, catching five balls for 26 yards.
  • Former Washington offensive lineman Tom Compton will be signing with the Falcons, according to Rand Getlin of NFL Network (on Twitter). It’s a new team for Compton, but he’ll have some familiar faces in offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan and offensive line coach Chris Morgan.
  • The Falcons announced that they have signed safety Damian Parms, wide receiver Aldrick Robinson, and cornerback DeMarcus Van Dyke. Robinson, a 5’10” receiver, played in 36 games for Washington over the years and recorded 30 receptions for 608 yards and five touchdowns in total. Robinson has also spent time on the Ravens’ taxi squad.

RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16

March 9th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:

Tendered

Non-Tendered

Washington Parts Ways With Stephen Bowen

February 27th, 2015 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to confirming the previously reported release of defensive tackle Barry Cofield, Washington has announced that it parted ways with another defensive lineman. According to the club (via Twitter), Stephen Bowen has been released, hitting the free agent market a year before his contract was scheduled to expire.

Like Cofield, Bowen missed a chunk of the 2014 season with an injury, and didn’t come off the physically unable to perform list until October. It was the second straight injury-plagued season for the former Cowboy, who played just 18 games over the last two years, and has recorded only a single sack in his last three seasons. In his 243 defensive snaps in ’14, Bowen recorded a -6.1 grade, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Back in August, Bowen, who turns 31 next month, negotiated a new deal in which he took a pay cut in order to stay on Washington’s roster for the 2014 season. However, despite Jay Gruden‘s suggestion that the team was exploring another restructure of that contract, the team decided to simply cut him this time around. Doing so will clear all but $2.52MM of his $8.02MM cap number from Washington’s books for 2015, creating $5.5MM in cap savings.

Over the course of the last two days, Washington’s defensive line has undergone a bit of an overhaul, with Cofield and Bowen heading out, and former Colt Ricky Jean-Francois added to the mix.

Besides releasing Bowen and Cofield, Washington confirmed one more transaction, announcing that offensive lineman Tom Compton has been re-signed. Compton had been slated to be an exclusive rights free agent, so he’ll be back on a minimum-salary contract.

Redskins Notes: Jackson, Hocker, Minnifield

June 27th, 2014 at 2:22pm CST by Ben Levine

Rumors of gang connections surrounded DeSean Jackson following his release from the Eagles. The current Redskins wideout previously distanced himself from the accusations, and Jackson again hushed the gossip in an interview with ESPN The Magazine’s Cord Jefferson.

Jackson said that he knows people in gangs, but has never been affiliated. Furthermore, the alleged gang signals the wideout has displayed in games were purely shoutouts to his friends.

“If I score a touchdown or make a play and my boys at home can see me throwing up the area we’re from, that’s me showing them love,” Jackson said. “They weren’t fortunate enough to make it where I’m at. All my friends wanted to be in the NFL growing up, but they weren’t able to do that, and I was. That doesn’t mean I forgot about them. They’re my boys, I grew up with them, and I’m going to give them love.”

Gayle Jackson, DeSean’s mother, weighed in on the outside influences.

“Those guys gravitated toward him because he had structure in his life,” she said. “A lot of time I was trying to chase these cats away. I told him it would catch up with him and that people don’t understand, so he should leave those guys alone. He told me, ‘Mom, you can’t treat people like that.'”

Let’s check out some more Redskins notes, all via the mailbag of ESPN.com’s John Keim…

  • If the Redskins decide to roll the dice with rookie kicker Zach Hocker, Keim believes it will be a gamble. However, Hocker’s main opponent, Kai Forbath, had never attempted a kick in the NFL prior to signing with the team in 2012.
  • Keim says Chase Minnifield‘s chances of making the Redskins will come down to whether the team decides to keep six cornerbacks. Of course, injuries could help his chances. Reversely, the presence of Richard Crawford could hurt those chances.
  • In regards to backups on the offensive line, Keim sides with Mike McGlynn, Morgan Moses, Spencer Long and Josh LeRibeus. If the team carries an additional lineman, Tom Compton could also make the roster.
  • Assuming the defensive line starters are Chris Baker, Barry Cofield and Jason Hatcher, Keim chooses Jarvis Jenkins, Stephen Bowen and Kedric Golston as the three backups.