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Tyler Hoover

Colts Cut Donald Thomas, Trim Roster To 75

August 31st, 2015 at 3:26pm CST by Luke Adams

3:26pm: The Colts are down to 75 players, after announcing this afternoon that they’ve waived/injured cornerback Deveron Carr. Carr will land on the team’s IR list if he clears waivers.

8:23am: In addition to releasing Thomas, the Colts have also cut 11 other players this morning, and placed two more on reserve lists, reducing their roster to 76 players. Here’s the full list of Indianapolis roster moves:

Cut:

  • Harland Gunn, G
  • Nicklas Haag, ILB
  • Zach Hodges, OLB
  • Tyler Hoover, T
  • Ryan Lankford, WR
  • Jeris Pendleton, DT
  • Ezell Ruffin, WR
  • Justin Shirk, ILB
  • Justin Sinz, TE
  • Abou Toure, RB
  • Brandon Vitabile, C

Waived/injured:

  • Donald Celiscar, CB

Placed on injured reserve:

  • Tevin Mitchel, CB

8:04am: The Colts have parted ways with another offensive lineman from their 2013 free agent class, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, who reports (via Twitter) that the club has released veteran guard Donald Thomas. Indianapolis also cut tackle Gosder Cherilus earlier in the offseason.

Thomas, who turns 30 next month, signed a four-year deal with the Colts in 2013 after having made 21 starts in four seasons for the Dolphins and Patriots. However, multiple quad injuries prevented him from seeing the field much in Indianapolis — Thomas played just two regular season contests in 2013 and none in 2014 before starting this year on the team’s physically unable to perform list. The former sixth-round pick was activated from the PUP list last week.

Had the Colts kept Thomas on their roster, he would’ve counted for a cap hit of $3.75MM in 2015, an exorbitant charge for a player who hasn’t seen any significant game action for a couple years. By cutting him, the Colts will reduce his cap numbers to just $250K each for 2015 and 2016. Thomas, meanwhile, will immediately become a free agent, giving him the opportunity to sign with any team.

Colts Sign 10 To Futures Contracts

January 19th, 2015 at 5:52pm CST by Ben Levine

Following their season-ending loss in New England last night, the Colts have shifted their focus towards next season. Mike Chappell of RTV6 tweets that the team has signed ten players to reserves/futures contract:

All ten players spent at least some time on Indy’s practice squad in 2014, while Quarles made a pair of appearances with the big-league club. Meanwhile, Guy compiled ten tackles and a sack in four games with the Jaguars earlier this season.

The other notable name here is Demps, an Olympic sprinter. The 25-year-old previously spent time with the Patriots and Buccaneers before joining the Colts’ practice squad.

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

December 17th, 2014 at 8:30pm CST by Luke Adams

A number of practice squad players have received promotions to their respective clubs’ 53-man rosters this week, or have been signed by a rival club. As such, we should expect plenty of signings today, as teams fill in their openings. Here’s the latest:

  • After his suspension was lifted by the league, fullback Nikita Whitlock signed on with the Giants‘ practice squad, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter).
  • Chargers taxi squad guard Craig Watts has been suspended four games for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (via Twitter). To replace him, the Bolts signed former San Diego State offensive lineman Bryce Quigley (link).
  • Wide receiver and kick returner Greg Jenkins, who spent last season with the Raiders, has returned to the club, signing today with the taxi squad, per Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the signing, tweeting that defensive back Vernon Kearney has joined the practice squad as well.
  • The Saints have filled the final opening on their practice squad by signing kicker Dustin Hopkins, head coach Sean Payton confirmed today to reporters (Twitter link via Chad Sabadie of FOX8).

Earlier updates:

  • The Vikings have signed rookie guard Jordan McCray to their practice squad to fill the spot vacated when Ahmad Dixon received a promotion, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Minnesota will have another spot to fill after losing cornerback Chris Greenwood to the Ravens.
  • In addition to making changes to their 53-man roster today, the Patriots also tweaked their practice squad, adding quarterback Garrett Gilbert, according to a team release.
  • The Packers have filled out their practice squad by signing safety Jean Fanor to the unit, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Fanor played for the Arena League’s Tampa Bay Storm this year, setting a team record for tackles in a season.
  • Former sixth-round guard Jon Halapio has signed with the Broncos‘ practice squad, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
  • Having entered the day with three openings on their practice squad, the Dolphins added a pair of players to the unit, signing defensive end Emmanuel Dieke and guard Mark Asper, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their practice squad by signing cornerback Jordan Mabin, the team announced today in a press release. The opening was created earlier in the week when the club promoted cornerback Ricardo Allen to the 53-man roster.
  • The Steelers have also filled out their taxi squad, signing former South Carolina offensive lineman Ronald Patrick, tweets Burt Lauten, the team’s PR rep.
  • Defensive back Varmah Sonie, who played this year for Portland’s Arena League team, has signed to the Buccaneers‘ practice squad, per Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link).
  • The Panthers have signed linebacker Horace Miller to their practice squad, giving them a full 10-man unit, tweets David Newton of ESPN.com. Miller was cut by Carolina over the weekend and has since cleared waivers.
  • Offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, who started the season with a brief stint on the Colts‘ practice squad and has since spent time with the Eagles as well, has rejoined Indianapolis’ squad, according to Mike Chappell of RTV6 (Twitter link).

AFC Notes: L.A., Dolphins, Workouts

December 17th, 2014 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Chargers announced last night that the franchise would be remaining in San Diego for at least one more year, and that doesn’t appear to bode well for an NFL team landing in Los Angeles for the 2015 season, writes Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. As Farmer writes, it’s “almost inconceivable” that Chargers owner Dean Spanos would make such an announcement so much earlier than necessary if he weren’t fairly confident that neither the Raiders nor the Rams would be moving to L.A. for 2015 either.

As we wait to see whether that’s indeed the case, let’s round up a few more notes from across the AFC….

  • If the Dolphins finish strong and end up with a 9-7 record, the head coaching picture for the team is murky, writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. As Salguero explains, owner Stephen Ross won’t necessarily replace Joe Philbin for 2015 if he surveys the market and doesn’t identify anyone who would be a clear upgrade on Philbin.
  • According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), the Colts worked out a handful of players this week, including offensive lineman Terrael Williams, defensive back Demond Washington, and wide receivers Dan DePalma and John Chiles.
  • Wilson also passes along the names of the players who auditioned for the Raiders this week (Twitter link): defensive back Malcolm Bronson, offensive tackle Chris Faulk, defensive back David Van Dyke, and offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, who signed with the Colts’ practice squad today.
  • Defensive end Travis Chappelear tried out for the Chiefs yesterday, a source tells Wilson (Twitter link).
  • Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News looks into whether the Bills might take a shot at Bears quarterback Jay Cutler at some point, if the underachieving signal-caller becomes available via trade or free agency.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

September 30th, 2014 at 6:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday is often a busy day for practice squad transactions, as teams fill spots vacated by players who were promoted over the weekend, or shuffle their 10-man units around based on injuries to the 53-man roster during Sunday’s games. We’ll keep track of today’s practice squad signings and cuts right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day….

  • The Lions have added running back William Powell to their practice squad, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter). Powell, 26, was cut by the Texans in late August.
  • The Titans have released quarterback Brad Sorensen from their practice squad, reports Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter link). Sorensen was a Chargers seventh-round pick in 2013.
  • The Jets have swapped out one cornerback for another, adding LeQuan Lewis to their PS while removing Brandon Smith, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers’ practice squad is now full after Carolina signed linebacker Horace Miller and running back Tauren Poole, the team announced on Twitter.
  • The Eagles removed two players from their practice squad, cutting linebacker Brandon Hepburn and offensive tackle Tyler Hoover, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Linebacker Jake Knott will return Philly’s PS after serving a four-game PED suspension, says Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).
  • The Rams have re-signed tight end Brad Smelley to their practice squad, tweets Howard Balzer. To clear a roster spot, St. Louis cut defensive end Kourtnei Brown from the PS.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Texans have placed receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu on the practice squad injured list, tweets Palmer. Houston’s PS is now down to eight players.
  • The Dolphins have filled their final taxi squad slot by adding defensive end Emmanuel Dieke, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Dieke was cut by the Giants last month.
  • Browns long snapper Christian Yount may be looking over his shoulder this week, as the Browns announced they’ve added long snapper Charley Hughlett to their practice squad, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Twitter). Hughlett replaces defensive lineman Calvin Barnett.
  • The Bills have swapped one tight end for another, replacing D.J. Tialavea with Jamie Childers, tweets Mike Rodak of ESPN.com.
  • Kicker Chris Boswell has been removed from the Texans‘ practice squad, per James Palmer of CSNHouston.com (Twitter link).
  • Nose tackle Robert Thomas has replaced fellow defensive lineman Hebron Fangupo on the Redskins‘ practice squad, as Mike Jones of the Washington Post tweets. Thomas went unclaimed on waivers after being cut by Washington on the weekend.
  • The Dolphins have removed cornerback Rod Sweeting from their practice squad, signing tight end Jake Murphy to take his place, according to Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • Wideout Travis Labhart, who was on the Texans‘ practice squad earlier this season, will rejoin Houston’s unit, a source tells David Nuño of KTRK-TV in Houston (Twitter link). The team currently has no openings, so one of the 10 current players will need to be cut or promoted to clear room for Labhart.

East Auditions: Bills, Pats, Jets, Eagles

September 11th, 2014 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

While not every NFL team is making adjustments to its 53-man roster this week, many clubs are at least auditioning free agents to get a sense of which players might be worth revisiting later in the season, as injuries begin to take their toll. Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun has passed along word of several of those auditions, via Twitter, so let’s take a look at which free agents are working out for teams in the NFL’s two East divisions….

Colts Sign Jamon Meredith

September 2nd, 2014 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts have made a series of roster moves this evening, including signing offensive lineman Jamon Meredith, as Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun notes (Twitter links). Indianapolis cut Tyler Hoover from practice squad and Deji Karim was removed from injured reserve with an injury settlement. Meanwhile, the Colts have added tackle Reid Fragel to the practice squad while placing Xavier Nixon on injured reserve-designated to return.

Meredith signed a two-year contract with the Buccaneers for $2.7MM, with $350K in guaranteed money and up to $750K available in playing time incentives. However, Tampa Bay made the decision to let him go late last week as a part of their effort to get down to a 53-man roster. It was somewhat surprising given Meredith’s contract and his role in practice. The tackle/guard had been seeing some reps with the first-team offense, which intimated to outsiders that he could be a big part of the Bucs’ O-Line. That was not meant to be, but he’ll now try and make a mark with the Colts.

Sunday Transactions: AFC South

August 31st, 2014 at 7:45pm CST by Luke Adams

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

Houston Texans:

Indianapolis Colts:

Jacksonville Jaguars:

  • Claimed off waivers: Mickey Shuler, TE (via Ryan O’Halloran on Twitter)
  • Cut: Marcel Jensen, TE (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter)
  • Signed to practice squad (officially announced): Cody Booth, T; DeAndre Coleman, DT; Henry Josey, RB (via Adam Caplan on Twitter); Craig Loston, S; Stephen Morris, QB; Kerry Taylor, WR; Tony Washington, WR; Marcus Whitfield, LB. The team has also added cornerback Peyton Thompson, reports Michael DiRocco (via Twitter), although the team has not officially announced the signing.

Tennessee Titans:

Colts Finalize Roster, Deal Burley To Seahawks

August 30th, 2014 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have finalized their 53-man regular season roster, according to the team, which announced in a press release their roster moves to get down to 53 players. In addition to the moves listed below, the team also pulled off a trade, sending defensive back Marcus Burley to the Seahawks for a 2015 sixth-round pick, according to the Colts’ Twitter account.

Here’s Indianapolis’ full list of transactions:

Waived:

Released:

Waived-injured:

Placed on reserve-suspended list:

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