HEADLINES

Travis Lewis

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/16/16

June 16th, 2016 at 6:41pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings waived linebacker Travis Lewis and defensive tackle Bruce Gaston, the club announced. Lewis was with Detroit from 2012 through 2015 before signing with Minnesota this offseason. He actually started four games last season, but for the most part he’s been a backup, appearing in 42 contests during his four-year career. Lewis was a key member of Detroit’s special teams unit, playing on more than 70% of Detroit’s ST snaps, and that’s the role he was expected to play in Minnesota. Instead, the Vikings will carry $50K in dead money on their 2016 salary cap as a result of having given Lewis a signing bonus.

The latest minor moves on this palindromic day:

  • Former fourth-round quarterback Logan Thomas has been waived by his second organization, as the Dolphins cut him loose earlier today, along with defensive tackle Charles Tuaau, Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald tweets. Thomas spent the 2014 season with the Cardinals before they too deemed Thomas too raw for the NFL.
  • The Jaguars signed punter Ryan Quigley and wide receiver Shane Wynn while waiving safety Craig Loston, cornerback Rashaad Reynolds, and defensive end Quanterus Smith, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Quigley was on the Eagles’ offseason roster for a little over a month earlier this offseason.
  • The Bears are expected to sign defensive lineman Marquis Jackson, the twin brother of Malik Jackson, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link). Chicago has also waived defensive lineman Kenton Adeyemi and linebacker Don Cherry, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com tweets.
  • After a tryout yesterday, the Chiefs have signed wide receiver Seantavius Jones, per Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (Twitter link), adding that Kansas City also inked defensive Akeem Davis.
  • Defensive lineman James DeLoach has been cut by the Lions, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
  • The Bengals have waived undrafted linebacker Gionni Paul, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer tweets.

North Notes: Wallace, Hicks, Bryant, Vikings

March 12th, 2016 at 8:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Even after being released by the Vikings earlier this week, Mike Wallace still might return to Minnesota, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link), who says that the possibility of Wallace re-signing with the Vikings is “on the table.” Wallace hasn’t been the same player since leaving the Steelers after 2012, as he’s averaged just 755 yards and six touchdowns with the Dolphins and Vikings in the three years since. But he’s not yet 30 years old, and given the crop of free agent wideouts, he should be able to find a nice landing spot.

Wallace was set to count $11.5MM against the cap in 2016, so if Minnesota does want to re-sign him, it will obviously be for far less than that total. The Ravens will reportedly have Wallace in for a visit, and while it’s just my speculation, I wonder if the Steelers would be interested in a reunion given that Martavis Bryant is facing a yearlong suspension.

Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFL’s two North divisions…

  • Free agent defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is in Chicago deciding his next move, and no resolution is expected to be announced today, reports Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). The Bears are still in the hunt for Hicks, per Finley, while the Lions have also expressed interest.
  • The Steelers have known about Bryant’s suspension since before the combine, tweets Albert Breer of NFL.com, so today’s news didn’t come as a major surprise.
  • Two Vikings‘ linebackers — Travis Lewis and Audie Cole — received one-year, minimum salary benefit deals, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com and Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links). Lewis received a $50K signing bonus, per Rothstein, while Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reported (via Twitter) a few days ago that Cole received a $40K bonus.

Contract Details: Forte, Lewis, Rey

March 11th, 2016 at 9:42pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are a few of the latest contract details for players who have agreed to new deals and/or signed them in recent days. Unless otherwise specified, all links are courtesy of Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle…

NFC:

AFC:

  • Donald Stephenson, OT (Broncos): Three years, $14MM. $10MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus. $3MM salary for 2016 fully guaranteed. $4MM salary for 2017 guaranteed for injury at signing. Otherwise, Stephenson’s 2017 salary is guaranteed if he’s on the Broncos’ roster on the fifth day of the league year (Twitter links).
  • Matt Forte, RB (Jets): Three years, $12MM. $9MM guaranteed. $3MM signing bonus. $1M roster bonus due March 15. $1MM salary for 2016 and $4MM salary for 2017 guaranteed. $2MM stat escalator for 2017 and ’18 (Twitter link).
  • Marcedes Lewis, TE (Jaguars): Three years, $12MM. $5MM guaranteed. Jags must exercise $3.5MM club option for 2018 before 22nd day of the league year (Twitter link).
  • Vincent Rey, LB (Bengals): Three years, $10.5MM. $3MM guaranteed as a roster bonus on March 15. $500K roster bonus due on the fifth day of the 2017 league year. $500K playing-time escalator in 2017 and ’18. $12,500 per-game active roster bonus each year. (Twitter links).

Vikings Sign LB Travis Lewis

March 10th, 2016 at 5:46pm CST by Dallas Robinson

THURSDAY, 6:46pm: Lewis’ pact with the Vikings is official, according to the team’s website.

WEDNESDAY, 12:16pm: The Vikings have agreed to terms with former Lions linebacker Travis Lewis, reports Peter Schrager of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Lewis, 28, has been with Detroit since 2012, when he entered the league as a seventh-round pick out of Oklahoma. He actually started four games last season, but for the most part he’s been a backup, appearing in 42 contests during his four-year career. Lewis was a key member of the Lions’ special teams unit, playing on more than 70% of Detroit’s ST snaps — that’s likely the role he’ll play in Minnesota.

Like all free agents, Lewis can’t officially sign his new deal until 3pm CT today.

Minor Moves: Saturday

October 18th, 2014 at 6:26pm CST by Ben Levine

Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, with recent updates added to the top of the list:

  • Defensive back Lowell Rose has been promoted to the Dolphins‘ 53-man roster, replacing defensive tackle Deandre Coleman, who was waived, the team announced today (Twitter link). Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (via Twitter) that the return of defensive lineman Derrick Shelby and a hamstring injury to safety Jimmy Wilson likely spelled doom for Coleman.
  • The Saints have released tight end Tom Crabtree and promoted linebacker Todd Davis to the active roster, according to the team’s official Twitter page.
  • The Lions have placed linebacker Travis Lewis on the IR and promoted tight end Jordan Thompson from the practice squad to the active roster, reports Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

  • The Redskins have activated Stephen Bowen off the PUP list, reports Chris Russell of ESPN Radio 980 in Washington D.C. The team has placed linebacker Akeem Jordan on IR to make room, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • The Ravens have added safety Will Hill to the 53-man roster, and placed defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi on IR to make room, reports Jamison Hensley of ESPN.
  • The Seahawks activated tight end RaShaun Allen off the practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). They also promoted safety Steven Terrell off the practice squad, and placed Cassius Marsh on IR to make room, reports Brian McIntyre of NFL.com (via Twitter).
  • The Panthers have waived safety Robert Lester and promoted linebacker Adarius Glanton from the practice squad, tweets ESPN.com’s David Newton. Lester, a former standout at Alabama, had 21 tackles in 12 appearances last season.
  • The Browns have signed defensive lineman Jacobbi McDaniel from their practice squad and have waived tight end Gerell Robinson, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Robinson has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2012. He played in his first career game against the Saints in Week 2.
  • The Titans have signed tight end Brett Brackett from the practice squad, tweets Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. Brackett will replace injured tight end Craig Stevens, who was placed on the injured reserve.
  • The Cowboys have signed linebacker Keith Smith from the practice squad, tweets Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com. To make room, the team released their seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft, defensive tackle Ken Bishop. Archer notes in a following tweet that he expects Bishop to return if he clear waivers.