Victor Ochi

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/9/18

Here are today’s minor moves.

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Oakland Raiders

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: OL Joseph Cheek
  • Signed: OL Larson Graham
  • Signed: OL Parker Collins

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/17

Here’s a list of today’s minor moves:

  • A day after the Dolphins cut him, tackle Terry Poole landed with the Texans via waiver claim, Mark Berman of Fox 26 tweets. Poole was initially a Seahawks fourth-round pick but hasn’t yet played in an NFL game.
  • The Saints worked out their longtime long snapper Justin Drescher this week and reached an agreement to bring him back on Sunday, Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate reports. Sean Payton had been frustrated by the long snapping during camp recently, and the team made the decision to release veteran Thomas Gafford and Chase Dominguez on Sunday. Drescher returns to the Saints after spending the past seven seasons in New Orleans. The team did not re-sign the 29-year-old specialist after his contract expired following last season.
  • Former VCU basketball player Mo Alie-Cox cleared waivers and will revert to the Colts‘ IR list, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
  • The Titans have signed RB Brandon Radcliff, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). They waived/injured Victor Ochi to make room, Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com tweets. Ochi tore his ACL on Friday.
  • The Steelers have signed cornerback JaCorey Shepherd and cut defensive end Nelson Adams. Originally a sixth-round Eagles selection in 2015, Shepherd followed Chip Kelly to San Francisco and played in 11 games for the 49ers last season.

AFC Notes: McCown, Cutler, Brissett, Ochi

Regardless of what head coach Todd Bowles says, the Jets‘ QB battle is not an open competition, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. Costello writes that Josh McCown has taken about 99% of the first-team reps in training camp, while Christian Hackenberg has worked almost exclusively with the second unit. Unless Hackenberg excels during New York’s first two preseason games, Costello expects McCown to be under center come Week 1, which is what we expected all along.

Now let’s take a look at a few more notes from the AFC:

  • Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald says Dolphins brass hopes to resolve the Jay Cutler question soon, and that resolution could come as early as today (Twitter link).
  • Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola accepted a pay cut to remain in New England for the third consecutive season, but as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, the 31-year-old Amendola (32 in November) never considered retirement, nor did he consider suiting up for anyone other than the Patriots. He again projects as the team’s fourth or fifth option at wide receiver, but he has grown comfortable with his limited role and at this point in his career he appears content to get a little burn while playing in a winning environment.
  • Jacoby Brissett, the Patriots No. 3 signal-caller who got two starts last season in the wake of Tom Brady‘s suspension and Jimmy Garoppolo‘s injury, is in danger of being cut, as Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes. Brissett did not have a strong spring, and with Brady showing no signs of slowing down and Garoppolo back as the No. 2 QB, New England could look to use Brissett’s roster spot on a linebacker, receiver, or defensive back.
  • Titans LB Victor Ochi tore his ACL in Friday night’s practice, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (via Twitter). Ochi is a small school (Stony Brook) product who has spent time with the Ravens, Jets, Chiefs, and Titans in his brief career, appearing in two games with the Jets last season. He has a great deal of raw pass-rushing ability, but it seems he will have to wait until 2018 to put that ability back on display.
  • Dan Graziano of ESPN.com says Tyler Ervin, whom the Texans selected in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, could fill in for Will Fuller while Fuller recovers from a broken collarbone. Ervin is a running back by trade, but he has tremendous speed and the club was already planning to use him in multiple roles to utilize his athleticism (he returned 27 punts and 14 kickoffs last season). With Fuller out for awhile, Houston could give receiver reps to Ervin with an eye towards making him a full-time slot receiver.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/13/17

Tuesday’s minor moves from around the league:

  • The Bills announced that they have released tight end Blake Annen. The 26-year-old joined the team’s practice squad back in 2015, but he failed to play for the big-league club in either of his two years with the organization. Annen hasn’t recorded a reception in five career games.
  • The Cowboys have signed undrafted wideout Lance Lenoir, reports ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. The Western Illinois product set several school records during his four-year collegiate career, including receptions, yards and touchdown catches. To make room on the roster, the team has released tight end M.J. McFarland. The 24-year-old was an undrafted free agent out of Texas-El Paso in 2016.
  • The Titans announced that they have signed linebacker Victor Ochi and cornerback Manny Abad. Ochi, a former Stony Brook standout, appeared in a pair of games with the Jets in 2016, and he’s also spent time with the Chiefs and Ravens. Abad, a Florida Tech product, previously participated in the team’s rookie minicamp. To make room on the roster, the team released defensive back Trevon Hartfield and defensive end Caushaud Lyons. Hartfield appeared in two games with the Cardinals in 2016, while Lyons had brief stints with the Buccaneers and Steelers.
  • The Falcons announced (via Twitter) that they have waived linebacker/defensive end Darius English. The former South Carolina standout finished his college career with 134 tackles and 15 sacks in 41 games. English previously played at McEachern High School, where he won AAAAA Defensive Player of the Year honors from the Atlanta Journal Constitution (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of AJC).
  • The Falcons have added Martin Ifedi, according to Ledbetter (via Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com). The former seventh-round pick was waived by the Rams prior to the 2015 season, and he also had a brief stint with the Buccaneers. The Memphis product initially joined the Falcons’ practice squad late last season.
  • To make room for wideout Jeremy Maclin, the Ravens are waiving tight end Barrett Burns, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The Appalachian State product joined the organization less than a week ago. Over the past two season, the tight end hauled in 11 touchdowns.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/22/17

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • Former Chargers sixth-round pick Tourek Williams signed with the Chiefs, who cut Victor Ochi in a Monday exchange of linebackers. Williams is entering his fifth season after playing four with the Chargers. Williams started in six games as a rookie and played in 16 during the 2014 and ’16 campaigns. He saw a broken foot end his 2015 slate after three games.
  • The Saints signed tackle Bryce Harris and waived defensive back Forrest Hightower. Harris played three seasons, 2012-14, with the Saints before bouncing around the league. He failed to make New Orleans’ 53-man roster out of training camp in 2015 but returns nearly two years later. The former UDFA out of Fresno State has four career starts on his resume, each with New Orleans.
  • The Rams signed defensive tackles Omarius Bryant and A.J. Jefferson while waiving offensive lineman Kwayde Miller. Meanwhile, defensive back Dravious Wright left the team. Wright caught on with the Rams as a UDFA last month. Jefferson is a UDFA out of Mississippi State. The Ravens cut Bryant, who played at Western Kentucky.
  • The Patriots re-signed wide receiver DeAndrew White, who spent the 2016 season on the team’s practice squad. White was originally a 49ers UDFA addition in 2015. He saw action in four games with San Francisco that season as a return man.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/3/17

Tuesday’s minor moves:

  • The Lions have signed offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds and promoted cornerback Adairius Barnes from the practice squad, as Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets. They’ll replace offensive tackle Corey Robinson (foot) and cornerback Asa Jackson (ankle), who were put on IR. To fill Barnes’ vacated spot on the practice squad, the team signed O-lineman Jason Weaver, a source told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Chiefs have signed outside linebacker Victor Ochi off the Jets’ practice squad and placed linebacker Dadi Nicolas on IR, tweets Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. Ochi will now go from a team whose season is over to one with a first-round playoff bye.
  • The Seahawks have signed long snapper Tyler Ott, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). Ott will take over for Nolan Frese, who’s done for the season because of an ankle injury. Elsewhere on the roster, Seattle will waive safety Tyvis Powell to make room for new addition Devin Hester, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link).

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/13/16

Here are today’s practice squad moves:

New York Jets

  • We learned yesterday that the Jets had cut TE Kellen Davis and promoted CB Dexter McDougle from the practice squad to the active roster. As Kimberly A. Martin of Newsday writes, New York also signed LB Victor Ochi to their practice squad. Ochi was signed to the Jets’ taxi squad on September 12 and was promoted to the active roster in late October, appearing in the club’s wins over Baltimore and Cleveland before being waived on November 5.

 

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/16

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Saints have again made the decision to cut Khalif Barnes, Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com tweets. New Orleans promoted linebacker Chris McCain from its practice squad as well, per Dabe (on Twitter). The moves came as the Saints activated Sheldon Rankins and relocated James Laurinaitis to IR. Barnes has vacillated between free agency and the Saints throughout the season but has yet to play in a game this year. Given the pattern that’s formed this season, the 34-year-old tackle could return to the team at some point.
  • After moving Jordan Cameron to IR, the Dolphins are promoting tight end Thomas Duarte from their practice squad, James Walker of ESPN.com tweets. Miami’s also opted to activate linebacker Zach Vigil. A wideout/tight end hybrid at UCLA, Duarte came to the Dolphins as a seventh-round pick. He’s spent the season on the practice squad. Vigil spent the first half of the season on the NFI list. He made 11 tackles as a rookie last season, one in which he played in all 16 Fins games and made two starts.
  • On a day when another major injury affects the Chargers‘ depth chart, they also made a lower-profile move, announcing the signing of inside linebacker Deon King from their practice squad. They in turn waived tackle Tyreek Burwell, who played in three games this season and nine for the 2015 Bolts. King is a UDFA from Norfolk State who won the Buck Buchanan award given to Division I-FCS’ top defender. The Bolts now have this award’s past two recipients in their linebacking corps, with Kyle Emanuel having won it in 2014.
  • The Jets claimed tight end Eric Tomlinson off the Texans’ practice squad and waived linebacker Victor Ochi, Seth Walder of the New York Daily News reports (via Twitter). Ochi played in two games this season and started one for Gang Green. A UDFA, Tomlinson has yet to play in an NFL game. New York ruled out Kellen Davis for Week 9 and now have four tight ends on their roster, pointing to Davis’ injury being potentially significant, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes.

Jets Place Erin Henderson On Reserve NFI List

The Jets re-signed Erin Henderson this offseason but may not have the veteran linebacker available for the rest of this year after the team placed him on the reserve non-football injury/illness list, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

An illness led the ninth-year veteran to this list, which works like the standard IR format, meaning Henderson could return after eight games. The Jets signed linebackers Victor Ochi and Julian Stanford from their practice squad, per Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter). They also placed tight end Braedon Bowman on the traditional IR with a torn ACL, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv tweets.

A second-year Jets ‘backer, Henderson started four games and played in five for his second NFL employer this season. With first-rounder Darron Lee also out for Sunday, New York is thin at linebacker after this interesting development.

Henderson played Monday night against the Cardinals and made a season-high seven tackles, but this recent transaction will put the 30-year-old inside linebacker’s chances at returning in 2016 as a slim proposition. Costello seemed to point to the change in Henderson’s status occurring late this week (Twitter link).

Henderson played the 2015 season with the Jets on a one-year deal but re-signed in March on a two-year pact for $5MM. He doesn’t have any guaranteed money left on his deal and would stand to see his cap number rise from $1.25MM to $2.75MM next season. Henderson spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Vikings.

Fellow UFA signing Bruce Carter figures to see more playing time as a result, with second-year man Lorenzo Mauldin also standing to have a quicker avenue to work on a linebacking corps lacking Henderson.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/12/16

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

Arizona Cardinals

  • Signed: CB Trevon Hartfield (Twitter link via Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910)
  • Cut: QB Aaron Murray

Buffalo Bills

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: TE Alan Cross (Twitter link via Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times)