HEADLINES

Vinnie Sunseri

AFC East Notes: Jets, Forte, Hackenberg, Pats

May 20th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

Jets wide receiver Eric Decker says that Gang Green will have a leg up in the AFC East if Tom Brady is suspended for four games. However, they’re going to need a lot more to happen in order to have a realistic chance of toppling the Patriots, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes. "<strong

For one, offseason acquisition Matt Forte must break the “curse of 30” and show that he can still produce at the running back position. Forte had a relatively down season in 2015, missing three games with injury and failing to top 1,000 yards rushing for the first time since 2011. However, he still managed almost 1,300 yards from scrimmage after catching 44 passes out of the backfield for nearly 400 yards.

Fellow newcomer Ryan Clady, who has played in only 18 regular games over the past three years, also must find a way to stay on the field. Clady joins a Jets offensive line that was somewhat inconsistent in 2015, though they ranked No. 3 in pass protection per Football Outsiders’ metrics.

Oh, and one other thing: the Jets absolutely need to bring back Ryan Fitzpatrick, Mehta writes. It is certainly hard to argue with that point.

Here’s more out of the AFC East:

  • Jets director of player personnel Brian Heimerdinger says the team has “high hopes” for Christian Hackenberg, though that doesn’t mean that that Bryce Petty has slipped in the eyes of team brass. “Personally, our opinion is you don’t draft on what your roster is,” he said, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. “We like to fill our needs in free agency and draft the best available. In regard to Bryce, that’s not really a slight at Bryce anymore than drafting a linebacker [Darron Lee] is a slight at David Harris in that regard.”
  • Former New Orleans safety Vinnie Sunseri worked out for the Patriots last week, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Caplan adds that Sunseri’s recovery from ACL surgery is going well. The veteran is now nine months removed from going under the knife. Things haven’t been easy for Sunseri since coming into the NFL as a fifth-round pick in 2014. In his rookie year, he missed a good portion of the season with a broken arm. Then, prior to the 2015 season, he suffered an ACL tear which sidelined him for the entire campaign.
  • Earlier this week, we learned that Laremy Tunsil‘s draft day slide may have had something to do with a nagging ankle injury. The Dolphins were able to take the Ole Miss product at No. 13 overall and many had attributed his tumble solely to the now infamous leaked video.
  • Like our Jets/Forte jersey swap? Follow PFR on Instagram for more.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/25/16

April 25th, 2016 at 4:59pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Buccaneers have signed running back Storm Johnson to a two-year contract, as Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. The former Miami, UCF, and Jags tailback is now slated to compete for the backup running back job this fall in Tampa. The former seventh-round pick had some hype behind him in Jacksonville but never broke out in the way that coaches and fantasy owners hoped he would.
  • The Browns announced that they have signed wide receiver Saalim Hakim, as Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal tweets. Hakim participated in voluntary minicamp last week with Cleveland on a tryout basis and apparently made a strong impression on team brass. Hakim originally entered the league as a UDFA with Dallas in 2012.
  • The Saints have released second-year defensive end Tavaris Barnes, a league source tells Evan Woodbery of The Times Picayune (on Twitter). Barnes, a Clemson product, appeared in 12 games for New Orleans in 2015.
  • The Saints have also waived safety Vinnie Sunseri, as Woodbery tweets.
  • The Lions have signed punter Kyle Christy, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. Interestingly, Birkett tweets that Christy could serve to save the legs of Sam Martin and possibly Matt Prater in camp. Reading between the lines, it does not sound like Christy has a great chance of actually hooking on in Detroit.
  • The Packers have waived defensive end Ray Drew, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Drew, a street free agent signed in March, lasted only one week into the team’s offseason workout program. Drew spent part of the 2015 season on Cleveland’s taxi squad.

Saints Claim Sammy Seamster Off Waivers

September 1st, 2015 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

5:35pm: After trading Jalen Saunders to the Patriots, the Saints had 14 players to shed prior to today’s deadline. They got the job done and we have the full list of moves, courtesy of The Times-Picayune’s Evan Woodbery.

Claimed Off Waivers:

  • Sammy Seamster, CB (waived by Dolphins)

Released:

  • Erik Lorig, FB

Waived:

  • Antonio Johnson, OL
  • Lance Lewis, WR
  • Ronald Powell, LB
  • Markus Pierce-Brewster, DE
  • Nick Toon, WR
  • Terrence Frederick, CB
  • R.J. Harris, WR
  • Chris Young, LB
  • David Hunter, DT
  • Cole Manhart, OL

Waived/Injured:

  • Vinnie Sunseri, S

Placed on IR:

  • Anthony Spencer, OLB
  • P.J. Williams, CB

3:32pm: The Saints have waived defensive tackle David Hunter and linebacker Chris Young, according to Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune (Twitter links). In addition to those moves, New Orleans has waived wide receiver Nick Toon, undrafted rookie receiver R.J. Harris, cornerback Terrence Frederick, (via Twitter links).

Hunter and Young were brought in as a camp fill-ins after the Saints suffered multiple injuries in their first preseason game. Weeks later, it’s not a huge surprise to see both players let go.

Saints Sign Brian Leonard, Cut Two

November 12th, 2014 at 4:19pm CST by Luke Adams

4:19pm: Linebacker Todd Davis has also been waived by the Saints, tweets Triplett. That should make room for Morgan and leave the team with the standard 53 players.

1:38pm: The Saints have placed rookie safety Vinnie Sunseri on injured reserve, tweets Mike Triplett of ESPN.com. While that could be the corresponding move for Leonard’s signing, the team will have to subtract one more player from its roster to also accommodate the return of suspended receiver Joe Morgan, whose roster exemption expires today.

11:29am: After working out for the team yesterday, free agent running back Brian Leonard appears set to sign with the Saints. Agent Mike McCartney announced today, via Twitter, that he’s “excited” for his client to join the club.

A seven-year veteran, Leonard has appeared in 87 games for the Rams, Bengals, and Buccaneers since being selected in the second round of the 2007 draft. Last season in Tampa Bay, the veteran back carried the ball 47 times for 182 yards, adding 29 receptions for 179 yards.

Running backs Pierre Thomas and Khiry Robinson have been out of the Saints’ lineup in recent weeks, and while the two backs were thought to be on the road to recovery, the addition of Leonard suggests they aren’t ready to return to the field quite yet. Backup running back Edwin Baker also left Sunday’s game with a concussion, further thinning out New Orleans’ backfield.

The Saints will need to make a corresponding roster move to make the signing of Leonard official.

Draft Signings: Jets, Pats, Saints, Chiefs

May 16th, 2014 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

With many rookie minicamps underway, it’s clear that a good portion of the players drafted last week have been eager to get their contract situations taken care of so they can focus solely on football. Several more draftees reached agreements or signed their deals today, so let’s round up the latest….

  • No team drafted more players than the 12 the Jets selected last week, and few clubs have been more proactive about getting those draftees under contract. The club announced today in a press release that Jalen Saunders, a fourth-rounder, is the latest player to sign on the dotted line, meaning only first-round safety Calvin Pryor and two other Jets draft picks still need to ink their deals.
  • Fourth-round running back James White and seventh-round receiver Jeremy Gallon have signed with the Patriots, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. We heard earlier today that Cameron Fleming had also signed, so New England is putting a dent into its draft class.
  • In addition to confirming the previously reported signing of sixth-rounder Tavon Rooks, the Saints announced today that they’ve also locked up a pair of fifth-round picks, safety Vinnie Sunseri and linebacker Ronald Powell. Both players should receive four-year deals worth a little less than $2.4MM, according to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, and their signings mean New Orleans has secured half of its 2014 draft class.
  • Fourth-round running back and receiver De’Anthony Thomas is the latest draftee to sign with the Chiefs, tweets Adam Teicher of ESPN.com. Thomas should be in line for a signing bonus of about $420K, per Fitzgerald.
  • Safety Ahmad Dixon became the fourth Cowboy taken in the seventh round to sign his rookie deal, according to Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • According to Robert Herron himself (via Twitter), the former Wyoming receiver officially put pen to paper today for the Buccaneers, making him the first Tampa Bay draftee to sign his deal. The club has since confirmed Herron’s tweet, and noted that fifth-round pick Kadeem Edwards has also signed (Twitter link).