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Xavier Grimble

Practice Squad Updates: Wednesday

November 26th, 2014 at 6:34pm CST by Luke Adams

As usual, we expect plenty of Wednesday practice squad moves, as teams around the NFL add and subtract from their respective units in preparation for Week 13 action. Here are the latest practice squad signings and cuts:

  • The Ravens signed tight end Emmanuel Ogbuehi to the practice squad while placing Konrad Reuland on practice squad-injured list, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks re-signed defensive tackle Jimmy Staten to their practice squad today, cutting offensive lineman Andrew McDonald to make room, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. It’s a reversal of the move the team made over the weekend.
  • The Cardinals filled the two openings on their practice squad today, signing linebacker Kion Wilson and re-adding running back Kerwynn Williams, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).
  • Former Georgia defensive tackle Garrison Smith, who spent time in the summer with the Dolphins, has signed to the Saints‘ practice squad, per his agent David Canter (Twitter link). New Orleans had a full unit, so a corresponding move should be announced shortly.

Earlier updates:

  • Washington has added two defensive backs to its practice squad, announcing today that Trey Wolfe and Kenny Okoro have been added to the 10-man unit (Twitter link).
  • After promoting defensive tackle Ricky Lumpkin from their practice squad to the 53-man roster, the Raiders signed cornerback Jansen Watson to fill the newly-opened spot, according to a team release. Watson signed with Oakland as an undrafted free agent this spring and was cut during the preseason.
  • The Chargers have filled out their practice squad by adding center Jeff Baca, a 2013 sixth-rounder, the team announced today in a press release.
  • Former Florida State safety Terrance Parks has signed with the Texans‘ practice squad, according to the team.
  • The Dolphins have released defensive end Emmanuel Dieke from their practice squad, signing safety Ahmad Dixon to fill his spot, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. Dixon, a seventh-round pick by the Cowboys in May, had spent most of the season with the Bears before being cut last week.
  • The Titans have agreed to terms with outside linebacker Chaz Sutton, adding him to their taxi squad, the team announced today (Twitter link). Sutton fills the lone opening on Tennessee’s unit.
  • Having already made one change to their practice squad (noted below), the Patriots announced several more, via a press release. Linebacker Deontae Skinner and defensive back Daxton Swanson have been cut, while tight end Xavier Grimble has joined the squad.
  • After bringing him in for an audition, the Giants have signed offensive lineman Michael Bamiro to their practice squad, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. New York had an opening on its unit, so no players need to be cut to accommodate the addition.
  • Danny Aiken may have a little competition in New England, as the Patriots have brought back another long snapper, Charley Hughlett, re-adding him to their taxi squad, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). The team will have to announce a corresponding move to make the signing official.
  • Linebacker L.J. Fort has signed with the Bengals‘ practice squad, tweets Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Fort, who spent time with the Seahawks earlier this season, worked out for the Bengals and the Saints last week.

Practice Squad Updates: Tuesday

November 18th, 2014 at 7:02pm CST by Luke Adams

As usual, Tuesday means plenty of practice squad signings and cuts for teams around the NFL. Here are today’s practice squad moves, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • To make room for their new practice squad additions, the Broncos have released defensive end Zach Thompson and wide receiver Douglas McNeil, tweets Mike Klis of The Denver Post.
  • The Saints signed former Chiefs inside linebacker Jerry Franklin to their practice squad, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
  • According to Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com (via Twitter), tackle Mark Asper and defensive back Josh Bush have joined the Broncos‘ practice squad. Denver previously had a full 10-man unit, so we’ll have to wait for word on which players are being replaced.
  • The Bengals have swapped one linebacker for another on their taxi squad, signing Terrell Manning and dropping Justin Jackson, per the team (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys have made a few changes to their practice squad, releasing guard Jeff Baca and linebacker Will Smith and adding linebacker Keith Smith and cornerback Robert Steeples to replace them (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • Rookie running back Dominique Williams, who was with the Vikings in camp, has re-signed with the team, joining the practice squad, according to a press release. Minnesota had a full 10-man unit, but now no longer lists safety Pierre Warren on its roster, so perhaps he was signed away by another club — the Saints, Warren’s former team, would be the most likely candidate.
  • In addition to making multiple changes to their 53-man roster, the Colts also tweaked their practice squad today, adding running back Michael Hill and cutting wide receiver Eric Thomas, the team announced today. We’ll have to wait to see whether Hill, the only running back on Indianapolis’ practice squad, has a chance to be promoted in Ahmad Bradshaw‘s absence, or if the team will opt for a veteran replacement instead.
  • The Falcons have filled the 10th and final spot on their taxi squad by signing former Oregon defensive tackle Ricky Havili-Heimuli, per Jay Adams of AtlantaFalcons.com (Twitter link).
  • Having recently worked out for the club, cornerback Marcus Cromartie has joined the 49ers‘ practice squad, replacing tight end Xavier Grimble, who has been cut, according to the club (Twitter link).
  • Outside linebacker Cordarro Law, who was cut from the Chargers‘ active roster prior to Sunday’s game against the Raiders, has re-signed with the team’s practice squad, according to the Chargers’ transactions list.

Minor Moves: Monday

September 15th, 2014 at 6:36pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Monday’s minor transactions right here, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • Two days after promoting him to their 53-man roster, the Lions have waived safety Nate Ness, says Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Ness was placed back on the practice squad this evening, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).
  • The Bears announced that they have signed sixth-round rookie quarterback David Fales to their practice squad and re-signed fullback Tony Fiammetta to the active roster, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
  • The 49ers are set to sign Xavier Grimble to their practice squad, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • The Buccaneers have finalized a little roster shuffling, promoting linebacker Brandon Magee to their 53-man roster and signing linebacker Ka’Lial Glaud to take his place on the practice squad. To create an opening for Magee, the club has waived-injured cornerback Rashaan Melvin (Twitter link via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com).
  • Defensive tackle Matt Conrath has been cut by the Rams, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). No corresponding move has been reported yet, but the team could be opening up a roster spot for wideout Stedman Bailey, who appears poised to be reinstated.
  • Bengals cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris, who is returning from a suspension this week, has joined the team’s roster, tweets Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Cincinnati gets a two-day exemption for Lewis-Harris, though by our count the club had an opening on its 53-man roster anyway.
  • Linebacker Darius Fleming (Patriots) and defensive end Chris Smith (Jaguars) have passed through waivers and re-signed with their respective clubs’ practice squads, according to Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald and Caplan, respectively (Twitter links).
  • The Giants have removed defensive end Jordan Stanton from their practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • The Ravens have signed cornerback Lou Young to fill the 10th and final spot on their practice squad, according to a team release.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Giants Waive 13 Players, Place Two On IR

August 26th, 2014 at 10:49am CST by Luke Adams

10:49am: Graziano provides the last four Giants moves, reporting in a pair of tweets that the team has also cut safety C.J. Barnett and defensive tackle Everett Dawkins, as well as placing wideout Marcus Harris and safety Cooper Taylor on season-ending injured reserve.

10:27am: Vacchiano adds two more names to the list of Giants’ cuts (via Twitter): Travis Harvey (WR) and John Sullen (G). The team still has to part ways with four more players by this afternoon.

9:26am: In addition to McManus and James, the Giants have cut the following players, according to reports from Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News and Conor Orr of the Star-Ledger:

  • Spencer Adkins, LB
  • Justin Anderson, LB (waived-injured)
  • Jerome Cunningham, TE
  • Emmanuel Dieke, DE
  • Xavier Grimble, TE (waived-injured)
  • Kyle Sebetic, S
  • Ross Weaver, CB

The seven additional cuts bring the Giants’ roster count down to 81.

8:34am: The Giants’ first wave of roster cuts is underway, and one of the team’s first moves will settle the kicking battle in New York. According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the Giants have informed Brandon McManus that Josh Brown will be the club’s kicker, with McManus being cut. Additionally, defensive back Charles James will be waived, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter). James announced that move himself this morning, via Instagram.

McManus, 23, may have lost the Giants’ kicking competition to the veteran Brown, but he has a big leg, having reportedly made a 75-yard field goal in training camp, as well as frequently putting kickoffs 10 yards out of the end zone, writes Bill Pennington of the New York Times. He’ll have to make it through waivers to become a free agent, so we’ll keep an eye out this week on whether another team decides to put in a claim for him.

As for James, he spent last season with the Giants and only saw two total defensive snaps, but was a frequent contributor on special teams — he recorded six overall tackles in kick and punt coverage. Graziano tweets that New York would have liked to delay its decision on James, but recent injuries on the offensive line have forced the team to change its plans.

The Giants have yet to announce these transactions, but figure to make them official later today when they finalize the rest of their cuts. The team will have to part ways with 13 more players by this afternoon’s roster cutdown deadline.

NFC East Notes: Hitchens, Robinson, Grimble

June 1st, 2014 at 8:48am CST by Rory Parks

The Cowboys have signed fourth-round pick Anthony Hitchens, writes Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. The 6-foot, 240-pound linebacker out of Iowa has already been more heavily scrutinized than many fourth-rounders, as he has been running with Dallas’ first-team defense since Sean Lee tore his ACL. Hitchens did note just a few days ago that he may not be ready to immediately fill the void created by Lee’s injury, but he is at least getting an early chance to show what he can do.

Now for some more notes around the NFC East:

NFC Notes: Giants, Durant, Washington, Floyd

May 24th, 2014 at 8:47am CST by Matt Feminis

“It seems everyone in the free world with an interest in football wants to know why the Giants didn’t draft a tight end and what they’re going to do to shore up the position,” writes Giants.com Senior Writer/Editor Michael Eisen. However, Eisen says GM Jerry Reese likes his two young, developmental tight ends (Adrien Robinson and Larry Donnell) and wants to see what the team has in veterans Kellen Davis and Daniel Fells and rookie free agent Xavier Grimble before addressing the position.

In other NFC news and notes…

NFC Notes: Glennon, Crabtree, Jeffery, Eagles

May 20th, 2014 at 12:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Although a few trade rumors were swirling around Buccaneers signal-caller Mike Glennon prior to the draft, head coach Lovie Smith made it clear in speaking to reporters earlier this month that he views Glennon as the team’s quarterback of the future. In addition to making that view public, Smith has also been assuring Glennon of the same thing privately, according to the quarterback himself, who said today that the coach called him twice during the draft to assure him there was no truth to trade rumors involving him (Twitter links via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times).

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • Jay Cutler’s extension last year with the Bears was viewed as the potential floor for Colin Kaepernick’s next contract with the 49ers, and as Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com explains, Chicago’s new agreement with Brandon Marshall could also provide a blueprint for talks between Michael Crabtree and the Niners.
  • Meanwhile, with Marshall locked up, the Bears figure to turn their attention to their other top wideout, Alshon Jeffery. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wonders what sort of deal the 24-year-old Jeffery may be in line for if the 30-year-old Marshall is worth $10MM per year.
  • With the Eagles‘ 90-man roster now full, Sheil Kapadia of PhillyMag.com takes a look at the club’s offensive depth chart, breaking down positional battles and the odds of several recent signees making the team. Over at ESPN.com, Josh Weinfuss takes a similar look at the Cardinals‘ depth chart.
  • New Giants tight end Xavier Grimble tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) that the 49ers, Falcons, Redskins, and Raiders were among the clubs who reached out to him after he went undrafted.

Giants Sign 10 UDFAs, Cut Five Players

May 15th, 2014 at 4:26pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 4:26pm: USC tight end Xavier Grimble has also joined the Giants’ rookie free agent class, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

TUESDAY, 1:54pm: The Giants have cut defensive back Chaz Powell and announced another four UDFA additions, according to a team release. Here are the newest Giants’ signings:

  • Charles Barnett, S, Ohio State
  • Emmanuel Dieke, DE, Georgia Tech ($7.5K bonus and $7.5K in other guarantees, per Aaron Wilson)
  • Dan Fox, LB, Notre Dame
  • Jordan Stanton, DE, James Madison

MONDAY, 4:47pm: The Giants have announced a series of roster moves, including a first step toward paring down the excess of quarterbacks on the depth chart. According to a press release, the team has released QB Rusty Smith and waived linebacker Allen Bradford, cornerback Junior Mertile and punter Jordan Gay. New York also signed five undrafted free agents.

Smith, a former Titan, inked a deal with the Giants last month shortly after the team added Josh Freeman to the roster to complement Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, and Curtis Painter. He’ll immediately become an unrestricted free agent, while the other players will have to pass through waivers.

Here are the Giants’ five UDFA signings:

  • Justin Anderson, LB, Louisiana-Lafayette
  • Thomas Gordon, S, Michigan
  • Eathyn Manumaleuna, DT BYU
  • Kelcy Quarles, DT, South Carolina
  • Kerry Wynn, DE, Richmond

NFC Draft Notes: Rams, Panthers, Eagles

April 20th, 2014 at 10:51am CST by Ben Levine

While there are never any guarantees in the NFL, it seems very likely that the Rams will select a quarterback in this year’s draft, writes Jim Thomas of The Saint Louis Post-Dispatch. Thomas points to a list of quarterbacks that the team has shown interest in, including Aaron Murray, Connor Shaw, Garrett Gilbert and Derek Carr. Thomas also lists Tajh Boyd, A.J. McCarron and Zach Mettenberger as potential fits. If the Rams do ultimately draft a quarterback, that player will likely be third on the depth chart behind starter Sam Bradford and veteran Shaun Hill.

Let’s explore some more NFL Draft notes from around the NFC…

  • While Nick Foles does not necessarily have the skill set for Chip Kelly’s offense, his success in 2013 should guarantee him the job this season. As a result, it would be a surprise if the Eagles selected a quarterback such as Teddy Bridgewater in the first round, said Charles Davis of the NFL Network (via Bo Wulf of PhiladelphiaEagles.com).
  • LSU wideout Odell Beckham Jr. told Sirius XM that he will meet with the Eagles this week, writes Tim McManus of PhillyMag.com. Beckham would join a list of receivers who have worked out for the team, including Mike Evans, Kelvin Benjamin, Marqise Lee and Cody Latimer.
  • Jonathan Jones of The Charlotte Observer answers readers’ questions pertaining to the Panthers and the draft. Jones lists offensive tackle as the team’s biggest need, followed by cornerback and defensive end. He also says that quarterback isn’t really an option following the Panthers’ signings of Derek Anderson and Joe Webb.
  • USC tight end Xavier Grimble met with the Panthers and Falcons, reports Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The projected mid-round pick struggled through a shoulder injury this past season.