Buffalo Bills Release Kawika Mitchell

Trent Edwards isn't the only veteran who was sent packing by the Buffalo Bills this week.

The Bills reached an injury settlement Friday with linebacker Kawika Mitchell, and he is no longer a member of the team.

Mitchell was on the injured reserve list because of a foot injury and could not play this season for the Bills. However, now that he has been released, as soon as he's healthy, he could play for another team.

Mitchell joined the Bills in 2008 as a free agent, one year after winning a Super Bowl ring with the New York Giants. He played all of 2008, then saw action in only five games in 2009 because of a quadriceps injury. In 21 games with Buffalo, he had 117 tackles with four sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Once the Bills switched to a 3-4 defense, it seemed as if he was no longer a proper fit. He was an outside 4-3 linebacker, and the team asked him to move inside. He could not beat out Paul Posluszny or Andra Davis for a starting spot in training camp, and then suffered his injury before the start of the regular season. It is believed that he asked the team to release him.

"Going into this year looking at our linebacker corps we looked deep," Posluszny told buffalobills.com. "We had a lot of guys and unfortunately he gets banged up early and now he's not with us anymore. So it's a tough situation any time it happens, but especially with a guy like him that we all respected."

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E.J. Reid Signs With St. Louis Rams

Former Utah State football player E.J. Reid has signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams after participating in their rookie minicamp over the weekend.

Reid, a 6-2, 320-pound defensive tackle from Kahuku, Hawaii, played at Utah State from 2004-06.  After being away from football for two years, Reid went to the University of Mary in Bismark, N.D., to finish his eligibility, earning all-Northern Sun accolades in 2009 with the Marauders. After playing defensive end for Mary, Reid is expected to play defensive tackle for the Rams.  Reid is expected to next participate in the Rams organized team activities (OTAs) scheduled for May 18.

With St. Louis, Reid will re-unite with former Utah State assistant coach Tom McMahon, currently the Rams special teams coordinator.  McMahon spent 11 seasons with the Aggies, including serving as Reid’s position coach in 2004-05.

McMahon spent 11 total years at Utah State, including eight as a full-time assistant.  Joining the USU staff as a graduate assistant in 1995, coaching defensive ends, McMahon was promoted to full time assistant, coaching linebackers and special teams from 1998-2000 before being named defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator from 2001-05.  McMahon left Utah State in 2005 to join the University of Louisville staff.  After coaching on the Louisville staff for one season, McMahon was with the Atlanta Falcons as assistant special teams coach from 2007-08 before joining the Rams.

McMahon’s nephew, Mike McMahon, is currently the defensive coordinator at University of Mary and also a former USU assistant coach, serving as defensive graduate assistant from 2006-07.  Mike McMahon sent his uncle a tape of Reid, prompting the Rams’ interest in the defensive lineman.

Last season at Mary, Reid posted 31 tackles (13 solo, 18 assists) and was second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and ranking third with two sacks, and added one interception.  Reid earned second-team all-NSIC North honors.

At Utah State, Reid made 54 career tackles with 29 in 2006 after posting 25 stops in 2005.  Reid made 14 career starts in 22 games as a defensive lineman, after switching from offensive lineman as a freshman in 2004, starting in four games, two at right tackle and two at right guard.  He posted 6.5 tackles for loss, including one sack, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick.

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Vuna Tuihalamaka Signs w/ the Indianapolis Colts

Former Arizona Linebacker Vuna Tuihalamaka signed a free agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Tuihalamaka was a juco player who played sparingly but became a force to reckon with his senior season, his first as a full-time starter in FBS. Teams didn't have much film on him but liked the way he had a nose for where the ball was going.

Player Bio:

Arizona: 1L... The eldest of three Tuihalamakas on the club, Vuna is expected to start at middle linebacker in 2009 after a solid year in '08 following transfer from junior college... Came in game-ready and played in all 13 contests, finishing with 23 tackles, a dozen of those in backup play... Also had eight hits on kicking units... Earned coaches' citations for special teams player of the week honors against California and BYU... Enrolled in January '08...

El Camino College: First-team J.C. Grid-Wire All-America in 2006 as sophomore at California state juco champion El Camino Community College... 148 tackles in 14 games, with 14.5 for losses... Mission Conference national division Defensive Player of the Year for coach John Featherstone, 1st-team inside linebacker... SuperPrep Juco 100, No. 23 prospect... California Community College athlete of the month for October 2006... Season-high 15 tackles vs. Cerritos... 18 tackles as a freshman, with 2 TFL, 1 sack and four PBUs...

High School: Hawthorne, Calif., High School, 2005...

Personal: Academic major is sociology.... Attended Pima College in Tucson in fall 2007... Cousin of UA brothers, defensive end Apaiata and tackle Sione Tuiahalamaka... Recruited by coach Mike Tuiasosopo...

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Alaska Standout Junior Aumavae Headed to The Dallas Cowboys

Former Palmer football standout Junior Aumavae is headed to the Dallas Cowboys after agreeing to a three-year deal.

Aumavae is a 6-foot-2, 330-pound defensive tackle who garnered first-team all-conference honors for a pair of Division II programs during a stellar college football career. He was seen as an "under the radar" prospect by NFL scouts and a potential pick during the 2010 NFL Draft.

Aumavae was not selected during the NFL's three-day, seven-round selection ceremony. But just minutes after the final player was selected on Saturday, Aumavae's phone started to ring.

Dallas signed Aumavae as a priority rookie free agent. He will report to the team's rookie minicamp starting next week.

The Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys were all interested in signing Aumavae. Then Aumavae's agent called with news that Dallas was ready to make an offer.

Shortly after committing to the team, Aumavae also received a call from a Dallas scout.

"He said I have a real good chance to anchor their nose position," Aumavae said. "They were very excited and they welcomed me to the team."

Aumavae is the first former Palmer football player to get the chance to play in the NFL.

He was named Alaska's top large-schools lineman after his senior year at Palmer High. He was a first-team All-Railbelt Conference and All-State selection on both offense and defense as a junior and a senior, even though his football career didn't begin until his sophomore season.

As a college player, Aumavae earned first-team all-conference honors at Western Washington and Minnesota State-Mankato.

Longtime Palmer head coach Rod Christiansen was elated when Aumavae told him he'd agreed to a deal with Dallas.

"He's a real deserving guy," Christiansen said. "He had the desire to stick with it. His focus was on wanting to see if he can make it."

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Raiders Sign UDFA FB Tonga of BYU

The Raiders have signed FB Manase Tonga out of BYU according Silver and Black Pride. The undrafted free agent was considered a priority free agent by many. I had him as the top blocking fullback and my number two priority among all undrafted free agents for the Raiders to consider.

And it seemed like a natural fit for the Raiders considering Tonga grew up in nearby San Mateo. It was no doubt was an easy decision for him to make when his home town team, Oakland Raiders came calling. And from the sounds of it, the decision to make the call was also an easy decision for the Raiders as Tonga becomes the first UDFA signing by the team since the draft ended a few hours ago.

In college, Tonga was oftenheld in high regard. Here is what was said about him in the Deseret News:
"At 6-foot and 248 pounds, Tonga is a devastating blocker with powerful drive in his lower body. As a lead blocker in Robert Anae's offense, he was fearless in tracking down and putting a bead on linemen, linebackers, safeties and corners for Harvey Unga. His pass protection is something Anae and position coach Lance Reynolds use as an example, a how-to tape"

The article also points out that just a year ago he was at a low point in his life. He was out of shape and almost dropped out of college and abandoned his dream of playing in the NFL. His onlyother blemish was having been arrested in 2007 due to a warrant out for the arrest of because he had not paid an $82 ticket.

If a little bit of down-on-his-luck and a traffic ticket are the only reasons he dropped out of the draft then that even speaks louder about the level of talent he possesses. But you needn't tell me how talented he is. I have seen him play. You needn't tell his opponents how talented he is, they have been hit by him.

This may just be the best acquisition the Raiders have made this offseason. There were a few great draft picks but Tonga was worthy of one of them so getting him as an undrafted free agent is a big time move.

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Titans Center Mawae To Test Free Agency

Tennessee center Kevin Mawae will test the free-agent market, his agent Mark Bartelstein said Wednesday.

His representative acknowledged that the eight-time Pro Bowler probably would not return to Tennessee after the team inked guard Eugene Amano to a deal.

Bartelstein said he talked with Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt on Tuesday, and did not believe Mawae would be offered a new contract before the free agency deadline March 5.

"All things being equal, he'd love to be back," Bartelstein said. "I think the Titans have a young guy there they are trying to bring along, and they just made a big investment in Amano. So I am not sure that the role Kevin would have as a Titan is worthy of what Kevin is as a player right now.''

Mawae was signed by the Titans after being cut from the New York Jets March 14, 2006.

During his first season with Tennessee, he helped the offense rise to fifth in the NFL with 2,214 rushing yards.
Mawae played 16 games with the Titans last season.

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