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NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/6/16

September 6th, 2016 at 6:54pm CST by Zachary Links

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

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: QB Aaron Murray, QB Zac Dysert (team announcement)

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: WR Nick Williams (Twitter link via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), DL Joe Vellano (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com)
  • Cut: DT Joey Mbu (Twitter link via Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com)

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: QB David Fales (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com), G Jarell Broxton (Twitter link via Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun)

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: LB Carlos Fields, DB Damian Parms (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)

Dallas Cowboys

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: T Carter Bykowski (Twitter link via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press)
  • Cut: CB Tre Roberson

New England Patriots

New York Jets

New Orleans Saints

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: OL Takoby Cofield

Tennessee Titans:

  • Signed: WR Tre McBride (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com)
  • Cut: WR Ben Roberts

Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC South

September 4th, 2016 at 9:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC South 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 Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. 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 South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Saints Place Hau’oli Kikaha On PUP

August 30th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints still had a bit of work to do in order to comply with the league’s 75-man roster limit, and they’ve made a few final moves today. The club announced that it’s released defensive tackle C.J. Wilson; waived linebacker Tony Steward, tight end RaShaun Allen, and cornerback Brandon Dixon; placed defensive end Hau’oli Kikaha on PUP; and placed offensive lineman Avery Young on NFI.Hau'oli Kikaha (vertical)

[RELATED: Saints Release Matt Shaughnessy]

Wilson, 29, agreed to a one-year deal with New Orleans earlier this summer. The veteran defensive lineman has78 career games under his belt, with most of that time coming as a rotational option with Packers from 2010-2013. Wilson played in 12 contests in 2016 (eight with the Lions, four with the Raiders), and picked up nine total tackles to go along with one sack.

Kikaha, meanwhile, appeared in 15 games and made 11 starts for New Orleans in 2015. In that time, the 24-year-old racked up 4 sacks, 50 total tackles, two passes defended, four forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/16

May 16th, 2016 at 6:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

Earlier Updates:

  • The Broncos have signed linebacker Dekoda Watson to a one-year deal, Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com tweets. Watson appeared in three games for the Patriots last year as he was yo-yo’d on and off of the team’s roster.
  • Eagles guard/tackle Matt Tobin has signed a two-year deal with the team, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Tobin was previously set to play out this year on his one-year restricted free agent tender. Now, his new deal will lower his base salary for this season.
  • Washington waived linebacker Reggie Northrup, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. Interestingly, Northrup is represented by rapper Lil Wayne.
  • More Washington signings via the team’s website: tackle Al Bond, guard Nila Kasitati, linebacker Mike Wakefield and running back Kelsey Young. Guard Dominick Jackson was waived.
  • The Seahawks have waived/injured linebacker Christian French and signed fellow linebacker Khairi Fortt to take his place on the 90-man roster, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.
  • The Bengals are set to sign former University of Buffalo quarterback Joe Licata, as Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets. To make room, rookie quarterback Matt Johnson has been waived.
  • The Browns signed defensive back Eric Patterson, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The 23-year-old entered the NFL last year as a UDFA with New England. The Ball State product appeared in two games for Indianapolis and one with St. Louis.
  • The Bears announced they have signed Donovan Williams, an offensive lineman from Louisiana-Lafayette (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of The Chicago Tribune). The Bears have also released center Dan Buchholz, wide receiver/tight end Marcus Lucas, and wide receiver Nathan Palmer (link).
  • The Bears waived defensive end Bruce Gaston, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Demovsky suggests that Gaston, who made Green Bay’s opening day roster last season, could get another look from the Packers.
  • The Chargers have signed former Arizona State guard Vi Teofilo to a three-year deal, a source tells Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. The 6’3″, 205-pound lineman will look to compete for a practice squad spot. The Chargers waived guard Sebastian Johansson, an undrafted rookie guard from Marshall, in a corresponding move. They also waived-injured linebacker Brock Hekking.
  • The Saints waived safety Michael Caputo and quarterback Griffin Neal after this weekend’s rookie minicamp, Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets. According to Wilson (on Twitter), the team has also cut receiver Shane Wynn.
  • In a related move, the Saints inked linebacker Tony Steward (Twitter link via Woodbery). Steward played at Clemson and was a fifth-round pick of Buffalo in 2015.
  • The Saints signed Jake Lampman, Wilson tweets. The Ferris State product caught 52 passes for 731 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

Ben Levine contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/16

May 11th, 2016 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from across the NFL:

  • The Buccaneers have claimed safety Johnny Lowdermilk off waivers from the Vikings, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The team also waived rookie safety Traveon Henry and rookie wide receiver Dez Stewart (injured).
  • The Bengals made a minor change at the back of their 90-man roster, signing former Louisville offensive tackle Aaron Epps and waiving tackle Darryl Baldwin, per Coley Harvey of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Baldwin was an undrafted free agent in 2015 who has yet to appear in a regular-season NFL game, while Epps tried out for Cincinnati after going undrafted this year. Epps, who stands at 6’7″ and weighs 288 pounds, was a part-time starter at Louisville in 2014 and 2015. He started only 14 contests across his collegiate career.
  • After cutting former South Florida edge defender Eric Lee earlier this week, the Texans are expected to re-sign him today, tweets Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. As Auman explains, the club wanted to change some language in Lee’s contract.
  • The Buccaneers signed receiver Freddie Martino, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Rams signed cornerback Jabriel Washington and released wide receiver Nick Toon and defensive back Winston Rose, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Linebacker Uani Unga, waived yesterday by the Giants, cleared waivers and was added to the Giants’ injured reserve list, as Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweets.
  • Mike McFarland reverted to the Colts‘ IR after being waived-injured and clearing waivers (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle).
  • The Packers have reached an injury settlement with tight end David Grinnage, who was signed as a rookie free agent (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • The Patriots have cut linebacker Tony Steward, leaving them with an open roster spot, as Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal tweets.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/22/16

April 22nd, 2016 at 3:57pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are Friday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Patriots have signed linebacker Tony Steward and long snapper Christian Yount, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Steward, whom the Bills released earlier this week, appeared in seven games and made two tackles as a sixth-round rookie last season. Yount, on the other hand, has 60 NFL games under his belt, including 48 in a row with the Browns from 2012-14.
  • The Eagles have signed wide receiver T.J. Graham to a one-year contract, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Graham, who worked out for the Eagles earlier this week, came into the league as a third-round pick of the Bills in 2012 and has also logged regular-season action with the Jets and Saints. The 26-year-old caught four passes in as many games for New Orleans last season, giving him 61 receptions in 47 career contests.
  • The Falcons have reached injury settlements with tight end Beau Gardner and guard Adam Replogle, both of whom had undisclosed injuries, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Gardner joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent from Northern Arizona last year, but he didn’t suit up in any games for the team. Replogle entered the league undrafted out of Indiana in 2013 and has spent his entire pro tenure with the Falcons, though he never appeared in a game with the organization.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/19/16

April 19th, 2016 at 5:21pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Buccaneers have signed quarterback Dan LeFevour, writes Scott Smith of their official website. LeFevour was a sixth-round pick of the Bears in 2010 and ended up spending time with three other NFL organizations, never logging a regular-season appearance, before heading to the CFL in 2012. LeFevour played in Canada through last season and will now try to earn a roster spot in Tampa, which already had a stocked QB depth chart consisting of Jameis Winston, Mike Glennon and Ryan Griffin before its latest addition. As Jenna Laine notes (on Twitter), Bucs quarterbacks coach Mike Bajakian was Central Michigan’s offensive coordinator for three seasons when LeFevour was its signal-caller.
  • Giants tight end Larry Donnell, whose 2015 season ended in November because of what looked like a career-threatening neck injury, has re-signed with the team after receiving clearance from Big Blue’s medical staff, according to Michael Eisen of the team’s website. In eight appearances prior to the injury, Donnell racked up 29 catches, 223 yards and two touchdowns. The 27-year-old amassed an impressive 63 receptions for 623 yards and six scores in 2014.
  • The Seahawks have re-signed cornerback Marcus Burley, who was their last remaining exclusive rights free agent without a contract, reports Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (Twitter link). Burley joined the Seahawks in 2014 and has since appeared in 26 games, totaling 53 tackles, two sacks and two interceptions along the way.
  • The Bills have released linebacker Tony Steward, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com. Steward, whom the Bills took in the sixth round of last year’s draft, appeared in seven games and made two tackles as a rookie.
  • The Ravens announced that defensive backs Jumal Rolle and Jermaine Whitehead have signed their exclusive rights tenders with the club. Rolle has bounced around the league since going undrafted from Catawba in 2013, playing in 19 career games with the Texans and Ravens. Whitehead, undrafted out of Auburn last year, spent most of 2015 on the 49ers’ practice squad before the Ravens signed him in December.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/11/15

December 11th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll track the day’s minor transactions here, with the newest updates appearing at the top of the list:

  • Two days after Rams head coach Jeff Fisher indicated that defensive end Robert Quinn and safety T.J. McDonald would be placed on injured reserve, McDonald has officially landed on IR, with the team promoting cornerback Eric Patterson from its practice squad to take the newly-opened roster spot (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). For now, Quinn remains on the active roster.
  • As Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com observes (via Twitter), Raiders practice squad defensive lineman Leon Orr tweeted today that he’s being elevated to the 53-man roster. Oakland will likely make that promotion – as well as a corresponding move – official tomorrow.
  • The Patriots cut running back Trey Williams, who was claimed off waivers from Dallas earlier this month, as Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets. Williams officially got word of his release on Thursday, just a day before he turned 23.
  • The Bills promoted linebacker A.J. Tarpley to the 53-man roster while placing linebacker Tony Steward on injured reserve, tweets Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. A back injury sidelined Steward last Sunday, bringing his rookie season to an early end.

Bills Notes: QBs, Injuries

August 29th, 2015 at 7:07pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Bills head coach Rex Ryan is closing in on a decision regarding the team’s three-way competition for the starting quarterback job. Ryan will make his choice for the No. 1 spot Sunday, but he won’t announce it yet, according to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW (Twitter link).

Tyrod Taylor, E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel have been vying for the role throughout the spring and summer, and all three have fared well during the preseason. That was especially true Saturday, when the trio shredded Pittsburgh in a 43-19 victory. The three combined to complete 25 of 28 passes for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Taylor added a 20-yard TD run to his 12-of-13, 122-yard performance through the air. Saturday’s effort will likely be the last of the preseason for Taylor, Manuel and Cassel, as Ryan expects fourth-stringer Matt Simms to play all of Buffalo’s exhibition finale against Detroit, Rodak tweeted.

Here’s more on the Bills:

  • Third-year receiver Marquise Goodwin may have broken a few ribs Saturday, according to Ryan (via Twitter).
  • Ryan seems optimistic about No. 1 cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who departed Saturday with a shoulder injury. “Gilmore is gonna be fine, I hope. We need him,” Ryan said, per Buscgalia (Twitter link).
  • Safety Aaron Williams left the game with a leg injury before eventually returning. He was limping in the locker room afterward and “clearly not 100 percent,” Rodak reports (Twitter link).
  • Ryan said rookie linebacker Tony Steward hurt his MCL and will be out a few weeks, per Rodak (Twitter link).

Draft Signings: Steelers, Cardinals, Bills

May 18th, 2015 at 6:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest draft signings from rounds 3-7..

  • The Steelers announced (on Twitter) that they have signed their third-round draft pick, wide receiver Sammie Coates. With the Auburn product in the fold, Pittsburgh has now signed seven of eight draft picks.
  • The Cardinals signed third-round running back David Johnson and seventh-round tight end Gerald Christian, Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com tweets. Only first-round tackle D.J. Humphries remains unsigned.
  • The Bills signed sixth-round linebacker Tony Steward, Wilson tweets. Now, top pick Ronald Darby stands as the last one unsigned.
  • The Browns announced that they have signed fourth-round wide receiver Vince Mayle and seventh-round linebacker Hayes Pullard, as Jeff Schudel of The News-Herald writes. Running back Duke Johnson, picked in the third round, and safety Ibraheim Campbell, taken in the fourth round, are the only Browns picks unsigned.
  • The Jaguars announced that they have signed fifth-round pick Rashad Greene. The FSU product was widely projected as a second-to-third round pick and the Jags are hoping that they got themselves a steal.