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Xavier Grimble

Steelers Agree With Grimble, Canaday On Extensions

January 15th, 2018 at 4:24pm CST by GregGoldstein

A day after the Steelers were shockingly bounced from the playoffs, the team has already begun shaping their 2018 roster. The team announced this afternoon that they have signed backup tight end Xavier Grimble and long snapper Kameron Canady to one-year contract extensions.

Xavier Grimble (Vertical)

Grimble, 25, played in his second season in the NFL this past year. The tight end had a minimal role on the offense, catching just five passes for 32 yards and a touchdown this past year. He’s firmly behind fellow tight ends Jesse James and Vance McDonald on the Steelers’ depth chart entering the offseason.

Canaday, 24, signed with Pittsburgh last February, but was released in May after the team drafted another long snapper this past April. However, the Canaday was ultimately brought back for training camp and went onto win the job in the preseason, going on to play in all of the Steelers games in 2017.

 

Steelers To Re-Sign TE Xavier Grimble

February 8th, 2017 at 10:52am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Steelers have agreed to a one-year deal with tight end Xavier Grimble, according to Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Grimble was set to become an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he couldn’t have signed with another club unless Pittsburgh forfeited its rights to him."<strong

[RELATED: Steelers Release Justin Gilbert]

Grimble, 24, signed a reserve/futures deal with Pittsburgh in January 2016, and ended up spending the entire season on the active roster, appearing in 12 games and seeing action on 18.2% of the club’s offensive snaps 14.4% of the Steelers’ special teams plays. On 21 targets, Grimble managed 11 receptions, 118 yards, and two touchdowns while playing behind Jesse James and David Johnson.

The Steelers have been the most active NFL club in terms of locking up ERFAs this offseason, as they’ve re-signed kicker Chris Boswell, running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, safety Jordan Dangerfield, and fullback Roosevelt Nix in addition to Grimble.

Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/18/16

January 18th, 2016 at 5:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the NFL:

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

AFC Practice Squad Updates: 9/7/15

September 7th, 2015 at 6:54pm CST by Luke Adams

While many teams filled up their 10-man practice squads on Sunday, plenty of teams didn’t confirm their moves right away, or kept a few spots open on those units. On top of that, at least one club that signed 10 players to its taxi squad on Sunday has already made several changes, bringing in new players and jettisoning players who didn’t even spend 24 hours on the squad.

We’ll have updates on Monday’s AFC practice squad signings and cuts in this space, with teams listed in alphabetical order. When new moves occur, we’ll bump this post back to the top of the page. Here’s a round-up of today’s moves:

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed (press release):

    • WR Daniel Brown
    • TE Dominique Jones
    • WR Jeremy Ross

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed (press release):
    • OLB IK Enemkpali
    • T Chris Martin
    • DE Cedric Reed
    • QB Alex Tanney

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

  • Signed (press release):
    • RB Kapri Bibbs
    • TE Arthur Lynch
    • T Kyle Roberts
    • DE George Uko

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Signed:

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed (press release):
    • DT Hebron Fangupo
    • T Laurence Gibson
    • CB Jeremy Harris
    • DL David Irving
    • TE Ross Travis
    • FB Spencer Ware

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

  • Signed (Twitter links):
    • OL Chris Barker
    • T Blaine Clausell
    • OL Cameron Fleming (Twitter link via Jeff Howe)
    • LB Darius Fleming
    • LB Brandon King
    • WR Nathan Palmer
    • DB Daxton Swanson
    • DT Jimmy Staten
  • Signed and subsequently released:

New York Jets

  • To be signed:

Oakland Raiders

  • Signed:
    • George Atkinson III, RB
    • Mitch Bell, G
    • SaQwan Edwards, CB
    • Shelby Harris, DE
    • Dan Kistler, T
    • Tevin McDonald, S
    • Josh Shirley, LB

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed (Twitter link via Burt Lauten + team transactions page):
    • WR Isaiah Burse
    • LB Anthony Chickillo
    • T Matt Feiler
    • CB Doran Grant
    • TE Xavier Grimble
    • OL Barrett Jones
    • RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
  • Released:
    • RB Dominique Brown
    • OL Reese Dismukes
    • LB Shayon Green
    • DE Ethan Hemer
    • OL Antonio Johnson
    • TE Harold Spears
    • WR Jarrod West

San Diego Chargers

  • Signed:
    • OL Michael Ola (link via Michael Gehlken)

Tennessee Titans

49ers Put Kendall Hunter On IR, Set Roster

September 5th, 2015 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Linebacker Ahmad Brooks, facing a sexual battery charge, remains on the 49ers’ roster following the team’s cuts today. As Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group tweets, general manager Trent Baalke issued a statement saying that the club is continuing to let the legal process under the league’s personal conduct policy. According to Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter link), the NFL has announced it has no basis for placing Brooks on the commissioner’s exempt list for now.

After announcing six cuts yesterday and then acquiring center Nick Easton from the Ravens today, the 49ers required 17 roster moves to get down to 53 players. The most notable among those 17 transactions might have been the decision to place running back Kendall Hunter on injured reserve for the second straight year. Here are the rest of the Niners’ moves, via a press release:

Cut:

  • WR DiAndre Campbell
  • CB Marcus Cromartie
  • G/C Dillon Farrell
  • RB Kendall Gaskins
  • TE Xavier Grimble
  • CB Leon McFadden
  • LB Nick Moody
  • DT Kaleb Ramsey
  • OL Justin Renfrow
  • DL Marcus Rush
  • NT Garrison Smith
  • QB Dylan Thompson
  • G Andrew Tiller
  • S Jermaine Whitehead

Placed on injured reserve:

  • TE Rory Anderson
  • RB Kendall Hunter

Reserve/suspended:

  • WR Jerome Simpson

Additionally, the 49ers made a move with a player who had been removed from their active roster already, reaching an injury settlement with linebacker Desmond Bishop, per Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter links). Bishop, who had been on San Francisco’s injured reserve list, is now a free agent and is healthy enough to contribute right away if he finds a new team.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

December 30th, 2014 at 10:10pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL right here, including transactions by teams still in the playoffs as well as clubs looking ahead to next year:

10:10pm:

  • The Lions have signed TE Ifeanyi Momah to a 2015 reserve/future contract, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).

3:57pm:

  • The Chiefs signed former Seahawks tailback Spencer Ware, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
  • Jets quarterback Matt Simms reworked his contract today to avoid becoming an exclusive rights free agent in 2015, according to a team release. The club also added kicker Andrew Furney and running back Daryl Richardson on reserve/futures deals, in addition to the six players whose reserve contracts we heard about yesterday.
  • In addition to confirming reserve/futures contracts for Garrison Smith and Chris Martin, as was reported yesterday, the 49ers announced in a press release that they’ve signed running back Kendall Gaskins, tight end Xavier Grimble, wide receiver Lance Lewis. All five players finished the season on San Francisco’s practice squad.
  • Running back Terrance Cobb announced (via Twitter) that he has signed a futures deal with the Raiders. Cobb initially signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie in May, and was cut in the preseason.
  • The Bears may not have a head coach or GM, but they’re still adding players to their roster — Chicago signed defensive end Jamil Merrell to a reserve/futures contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
  • Former Canisius College basketball player Chris Manhertz announced (via Instagram) that he has signed a contract with the Bills. According to Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (via Twitter), the ex-hoopster projects as a tight end. The Bills have since confirmed the signing of Manhertz, and announced a deal for fullback Corey Knox as well.

2:19pm:

  • Offensive tackle Justin Renfrow has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, creating an opening on the unit, according to the team.
  • The Steelers have also made a change to their taxi squad, signing wide receiver Tim Benford and releasing cornerback Jordan Sullen, per Burt Lauten (via Twitter). The addition of Benford provides some insurance for the receiving corps, after the team cut wideout Justin Brown from its active roster today.
  • The Browns signed a pair of kickers, Travis Coons and Carey Spear, to reserve/futures contracts, the club announced today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). The two kickers join seven other players who signed futures deals yesterday with Cleveland.
  • The Jaguars have signed offensive lineman Cody Booth, tight end Marcel Jensen, defensive back Peyton Thompson, and wide receiver Tony Washington to reserve/futures contracts, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. All four players spent time on the club’s practice squad this season.
  • The Saints signed five more players to reserve/futures deals, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune, who lists running back Edwin Baker, kicker Dustin Hopkins, tight end Orson Charles, and offensive linemen Mike Brewster and Andrew Miller as the latest recepients. We learned yesterday that the club also signed wideout Willie Snead and fullback Toben Opurum to futures contracts.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

December 16th, 2014 at 7:18pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve already got one ongoing post designed to track today’s minor 53-man roster moves from around the league, but we’ll use this space to keep tabs on Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts. Here’s the latest:

  • The Saints added guard Andrew Miller to the taxi squad while releasing offensive tackle DeMarcus Love and defensive tackle Garrison Smith, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Panthers cut running back Tauren Poole from their taxi squad yet again and replaced him by re-signing Micanor Regis, according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter).
  • A source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) that the Chiefs have cut tight end Adam Schiltz, creating a second open spot on the Kansas City practice squad.
  • The Cowboys have their practice squad back up to 10 players, signing linebacker Mister Alexander to fill the final opening, says Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com.
  • Wide receiver Travis Labhart has been placed on the Texans‘ practice squad-injured list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • Having lost cornerback Chance Casey to the Raiders, the 49ers replaced him on their practice squad by signing cornerback Cameron Fuller, tweets Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com.

Earlier updates:

  • The Ravens have filled up their practice squad by signing cornerback Quinton Pointer, the team announced today.
  • Earlier today, Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reported (via Twitter) that the Texans were working out quarterback Seth Lobato, but the club ended up signing another quarterback to its taxi squad. Ricky Stanzi is the signal-caller that landed with the Texans, tweets Wilson.
  • The Jets have signed former Marshall linebacker Mario Harvey to their practice squad, according to the team (Twitter link).
  • After cutting him over the weekend, Washington has re-signed linebacker Steve Beauharnais to the club’s practice squad, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The team also added defensive tackle Isaako Aaitui to the unit, cutting linebacker Justin Jackson to accommodate the move (Twitter link).
  • Having lost Zach Mettenberger and Jake Locker to injuries, the Titans added quarterback Jordan Palmer to their active roster yesterday, and have added another signal-caller to their practice squad today for emergency purposes. Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean tweets that QB Alex Tanney has signed with Tennessee’s taxi squad.
  • Former Wake Forest defensive lineman Zach Thompson is signing to the Ravens‘ practice squad, taking one of the two open spots on the unit, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • The 49ers have brought back a player who was part of the club’s practice squad earlier this season, announcing today in a press release that they’ve re-added tight end Xavier Grimble.

AFC West Notes: Streater, Mathews, Workouts

December 11th, 2014 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Having carried 52 players instead of 53 since Tuesday, it appeared as if the Raiders were saving a roster spot for wide receiver Rod Streater, who received the designation to return earlier in the year, and is now eligible to come off the IR list. However, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that Streater will be inactive for the rest of the season, rehabbing his foot injury and preparing for the 2015 campaign. That means that open spot on Oakland’s 53-man roster will likely be used on another player.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC West….

  • After five up and down seasons in San Diego, Ryan Mathews will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the running back’s time left with the Chargers can be measured in weeks. In Acee’s view, Mathews’ injury history should have the team looking for other options, in spite of the 27-year-old’s obvious talents.
  • We previously heard that the Broncos worked out former Dolphins quarterback Seth Lobato this week, but the team auditioned a dozen more players, including five wide receivers, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The full list: WR Chandler Jones, WR Jeremy Kelley, WR Alex Neutz, WR Kerry Taylor, WR Kyle Williams, RB Tim Cornett, RB Turner Petersen, TE Jake Byrne, TE Xavier Grimble, OL Bruce Doyle, OL Andrew Miller, and DE Shawn Lemon.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along details on the Raiders‘ most recent visits and workouts, in a pair of tweets: Oakland tried out tight end running backs Terrance Cobb and Ronnie Wingo, as well as wide receiver Clyde Gates. The club also received a visit from running back David Fluellen.
  • The Chiefs worked out wide receiver Corbin Louks and defensive end Zach Thompson, Wilson adds in another tweet.

Workout Notes: Colts, Jaguars, Browns, Broncos

December 4th, 2014 at 12:24pm CST by Luke Adams

In our roundup of several AFC East and NFC East items this morning, we passed along word on a handful of free agents who recently worked out for East teams. Across the rest of the league, several more auditions took place, so we’ll take a look at all those updates right here. All links are from Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, and go to Twitter:

  • The Colts brought in a few notable free agents for tryouts, taking a look at running back Mikel Leshoure, ex-Jets cornerback Ellis Lankster, and former LSU wideout Kadron Boone. Of the three players, Leshoure is the most interesting name, considering Indianapolis is believed to be considering adding running back depth.
  • Linebacker A.J. Edds ultimately signed with the Jaguars, joining the team’s active roster yesterday, but Edds also worked out for the Bengals earlier in the week. Additionally, Jacksonville auditioned veteran linebacker Victor Butler before deciding on Edds.
  • Browns kicker Billy Cundiff has had his ups and downs this season, missing six field goals, including three from less than 40 yards. While I don’t expect Cleveland to replace him, the team did take a look at a couple other kickers this week, bringing in Michael Barnard and Zach Hocker.
  • The Broncos worked out an extensive list of players this week, and Wilson has all the previously-unreported names: Rodney Barnes (S), Deion Belue (CB), Kenny Horsley (DE), M.D. Jennings (S), Vernon Kearney (CB), Keon Lyn (CB), Leon Mackey (DL), Ross Madison (S), and Danny Mason (LB).
  • In addition to trying out wideout Jace Davis, who signed with their practice squad, the Texans auditioned quarterback Brad Sorensen and several other receivers, including Rashad Ross, Willie Snead, and former Niner Kyle Williams.
  • Former Cardinals defensive end Ronald Talley worked out for the Chiefs. Talley spent some time with the Buccaneers earlier this year, but was removed from the roster prior to the regular season.
  • The Packers tried out cornerback Lavelle Westbrooks, a 2014 seventh-round pick waived by the Bengals during the preseason.
  • Tight end Xavier Grimble, who hit the open market once again last week after a brief stint with the Patriots’ practice squad, worked out for the Panthers.

Minor Moves: Friday

November 28th, 2014 at 4:38pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including practice squad signings and cuts, in this space, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • The Dolphins have claimed former Patriot defensive back Don Jones off waivers, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The Patriots had waived Jones on Thursday. The Dolphins waived Lowell Rose in order to make room for Jones, reports Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

Earlier Updates:

  • The Jaguars have swapped one wide receiver for another on their 53-man roster, waiving Mike Brown and promoting Tommy Streeter from the practice squad to take his spot, writes Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Brown, who had seven catches for 88 yards this season, had been a healthy scratch for each of the last six games.
  • After releasing him from their active roster on Wednesday, the Bills have re-signed defensive end Bryan Johnson to their practice squad, the club announced today in a press release. To accommodate the addition of Johnson, Buffalo has parted ways with practice squad cornerback Brandon Smith.
  • The Patriots have removed a pair of players from their practice squad, cutting long snapper Charley Hughlett and tight end Xavier Grimble, according to a team release. Regular Pats long snapper Danny Aiken suffered a concussion during last week’s game against the Lions, but Hughlett’s release bodes well for Aiken’s chances of playing this weekend.
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