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Charles Sims

Titans Meet With Charles Sims

November 13th, 2018 at 12:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Charles Sims worked out for the Titans on Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (on Twitter). The former Bucs running back has yet to see the field in 2018, but he could be closing in on a home for the 2018 season. 

[RELATED: Titans Explored Amari Cooper, Other WRs Before Trade Deadline]

Titans rusher David Fluellen injured his knee on Sunday and will miss at least one game. Sims could be a temporary fill-in, giving the Titans another body behind Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis.

A former Buccaneers passing-down back, Sims has auditioned for the Texans, Patriots, Jaguars, and Lions over the last couple of months. He’s shown flashes of ability during his run in the NFL, especially during a 2015 campaign in which he caught 51 passes for the Buccaneers.

Lions Work Out Charles Sims, Terrance West

October 2nd, 2018 at 1:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are looking into help at running back. On Tuesday, the Lions auditioned Charles Sims, Terrance West, and Michigan product Fitzgerald Toussaint, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press tweets. 

The Lions already have solid depth in the backfield with rookie star Kerryon Johnson, power rusher LeGarrette Blount, pass-catching specialist Theo Riddick, and former second-round pick Ameer Abdullah under contract. It’s possible that one of those reserve RBs are injured, but it’s also possible that the Lions are simply updating their emergency lists in the event of an injury.

A former Buccaneers passing-down back, Sims has auditioned for the Texans, Patriots, and Jaguars over the last few weeks. He’s shown flashes of ability during his run in the NFL, especially during a 2015 campaign in which he caught 51 passes for the Buccaneers.

West was initially signed by the Saints back in June after Mark Ingram was hit with a four-game suspension, but he was cut loose in August. The 27-year-old appeared in only five games (four starts) with the Ravens last year, but he had a great 2016 with Baltimore as he racked up 1,010 yards on offense and six touchdowns.

Jaguars Work Out Wright, Jones, Sims

September 18th, 2018 at 4:42pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Redskins saw enough from Breshad Perriman and Michael Floyd‘s workouts Monday to sign them, Kendall Wright‘s Washington audition did not produce an offer. He has another opportunity a day later.

The Jaguars worked out the veteran slot receiver on Tuesday, Adam Caplan of Sirius XM radio tweets. Wright, Landry Jones and Charles Sims were in Jacksonville today auditioning, per Caplan.

Wright could not make the Vikings’ 53-man roster but is coming off a 614-yard season — his most in a single campaign since the 2014 slate — with the Bears last year. The Jags are still sorting out their receiver hierarchy post-Marqise Lee, but the group produced in a Week 2 win over the Patriots.

Jones also had a Monday workout, with the Cowboys, but he remains a free agent. The Steelers severed ties with their longtime backup quarterback just prior to the regular season. Jones spent five years in Pittsburgh. The Jaguars traded for Cody Kessler this offseason; he and Blake Bortles are the only two passers on Jacksonville’s roster.

A former Buccaneers passing-down back, Sims got an earlier start on the 2018 workout circuit than Wright or Jones, already auditioning for the Texans and Patriots. The Jags have four running backs on their active roster, having added Brandon Wilds late last week because of Leonard Fournette‘s hamstring trouble.

Patriots Audition RBs Orleans Darkwa, Charles Sims

September 11th, 2018 at 10:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots worked out free agent running backs Orleans Darkwa and Charles Sims, as well as receiver/returner Brandon Tate, on Tuesday, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

New England placed running back Jeremy Hill on injured reserve earlier today, but they also signed Kenjon Barner, so it’s unclear if the club is still interested in adding another runner. Barner is more a returner than a true back, so it’s possible the Patriots want to bring in another back to complement Rex Burkhead, James White, and Sony Michel, the latter of whom was inactive on Sunday.

Playing for the Giants in 2017, Darkwa posted the best campaign of his NFL tenure in by setting career-highs in starts (11), rushes (171), yards (751), and touchdowns (five). Football Outsiders ranked Darkwa as a top-25 running back in both DYAR and DVOA (meaning he was both effective overall and efficient on a per-play basis), while Pro Football Focus noted his ability to create his own yardage. Darkwa previously met with the Patriots back in April.

Sims, meanwhile, has shown flashes of ability during his run in the NFL, especially during a 2015 campaign in which he caught 51 passes for the Buccaneers. While he’s never been much of a ball-carrier (he handled a career-high 107 carries in that 2015 season), Sims is a viable pass-catcher, but he doesn’t contribute on special teams.

South Rumors: Luck, Bucs, Saints, Texans

September 6th, 2018 at 12:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Colts have their franchise centerpiece ready to resume his career after a hiatus so long it had many concerned his NFL days were over. But not everyone’s buying into Andrew Luck being able to pick up where he left off.

“Have you watched the guy play? Go back and watch him pre-injury…like 2015. Now watch him today. His throwing motion is completely changed, and he has no deep velocity,” an AFC offensive assistant coach said, via Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller. “His entire game has changed. I bet he’ll be Checkdown Charlie. Like Alex Smith but afraid to get hit.”

An AFC South assistant, per Miller, doubted the Colts’ offensive line can protect Luck. That was an issue for the team when its 28-year-old quarterback was last healthy. Colts scouts and execs are obviously more bullish on Luck being ready to resume his trajectory.

“The last time y’all saw Andrew, he threw for 4,200 yards with a (messed) up shoulder and a bad offensive line,” a “high-level” Colts executive told Miller. “Just wait.”

Continuing with some additional Colts news, here’s the latest from the South divisions:

  • Both Anthony Castonzo and Marlon Mack returned to Colts practice this week, per ESPN.com’s Mike Wells and NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (Twitter links). Castonzo injured his hamstring before training camp and re-aggravated it in the first week of August. He missed nearly a month of work but is optimistic he can still play in Week 1, the Indianapolis Star’s Zak Keefer tweets. Mack missed almost a month of work as well because of a hamstring issue. He’s Indianapolis’ projected running back starter, but his status for the opener is also up in the air.
  • Both the Buccaneers and Saints paid premiums to sign certain practice squad players. Tampa Bay went well above the minimum $7.6K-per-week wages to add linebacker Azeem Victor, agreeing to pay him $28K per week, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. The Saints are paying wide receiver Keith Kirkwood that amount as well, per Pelissero. Kirkwood is a rookie UDFA out of Temple who went to Saints camp, while Victor was sixth-round Raiders pick in April.
  • While Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson are expected to handle three-down work for the Panthers, David Mayo will start in place of the suspended Thomas Davis, DC Eric Washington said (via Joe Person of The Athletic, on Twitter). Mayo’s a 2015 sixth-round pick who’s started one game in his three previous Panther seasons.
  • The Texans worked out both Charles Sims and Akeem Hunt on Thursday, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle notes (on Twitter). While Sims is a former regular on Buccaneers passing downs, Hunt’s workout went well, Wilson tweets, adding no deal is imminent. The Texans will be without D’Onta Foreman for the first third of the season. Alfred Blue, third-year back Tyler Ervin and recent waiver claim Gregory Howell are on Houston’s roster behind starter Lamar Miller.

Buccaneers Place RB Charles Sims On IR

August 23rd, 2018 at 2:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have placed Charles Sims on injured reserve. The running back suffered a knee injury on the opening kickoff of the team’s most recent playoff game against the Titans. 

Sims was re-signed to a one-year deal this offseason and was hoping to get back to his old form after getting limited carries in 2017. Although teams are permitted to bring two players back from IR, the Bucs’ announcement made it sound as though Sims is done for the year. He’ll have to wait until 2019 for redemption, and there’s no guarantee that will happen in Tampa.

Appearing in all 16 games, Sims totaled just 21 rushing attempts for 95 yards. He did have 35 catches for 249 yards and one score, however.

The Buccaneers have Peyton Barber, rookie Ronald Jones, and Jacquizz Rodgers effectively locked in for the 53-man roster. Sims was pushing for a spot behind him, and that will now likely go to Duke product Shaun Wilson. Dare Ogunbowale also has improved odds of making the cut now that Sims is out of the picture.

Buccaneers Re-Sign RB Charles Sims

April 26th, 2018 at 9:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Buccaneers have agreed to re-sign running back Charles Sims, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times tweets. It’s a one-year deal for the veteran. 

Last summer, there were whispers that Sims would miss the Bucs’ final cut coming out of camp, even though starter Doug Martin was suspended for the start of the 2017 season. Sims stayed on the roster, but he did not see a ton of carries. Appearing in all 16 games, Sims totaled just 21 rushing attempts for 95 yards. He did add 35 catches for 249 yards and one score, however.

Given that Sims had less rushing yards than Jameis Winston – who isn’t exactly fleet-footed – he might not have a huge rule in store in 2018. Last year’s leading rusher, Peyton Barber, is back in the fold and so is Jacquizz Rodgers. The Bucs may also bolster the RB depth chart in this week’s draft.

NFC Notes: Bucs, Cousins, Paea

July 9th, 2017 at 12:39pm CST by Rory Parks

Let’s take a quick swing around the NFC after rounding up a few AFC rumors earlier today:

  • An article from Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com could have been construed to indicate that Buccanneers RB Charles Sims is a long-shot to make the team’s 53-man roster, but Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times says he would be surprised if Sims is cut, especially before Doug Martin returns from suspension in Week 4 (Twitter link). Auman adds (via Twitter) that Smith’s article probably meant to suggest that Blake Sims, not Charles, is a long-shot to make the roster. Indeed, Smith’s piece discusses how well-stocked Tampa Bay is at running back, and he suggests Charles Sims is one of the reasons the Bucs can field a solid RB group even without Martin. Smith later confirmed Auman’s interpretation via Twitter.
  • In addition to running back, the Buccaneers also have intriguing position battles at slot corner, safety, and kicker, as Roy Cummings of FanRagSports.com writes.
  • Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com examines the long-term outlook for the Redskins, and it’s a fairly promising one, at least on offense. He looks at a possible snapshot of the offense going into training camp in the year 2020, and of the 11 players he mentions — most of whom are good, very good, or at least have a lot of upside — 10 of them are already starters. While it would be foolish to expect all of those players to be in Washington in 2020, the fact remains that the team does have a talented offensive core that has the potential to stay around for a long time.
  • Tandler tweets that there is a slim chance the Redskins and QB Kirk Cousins can work out a multi-year deal by the July 17 deadline, but he confirms what we have known all along, which is that Cousins’ long-term future with the club probably won’t be settled until March 2018.
  • The Cowboys signed Stephen Paea to a one-year, $2MM deal this offseason, and though the big DT struggled the past two years in Washington and Cleveland, Dallas believes he can return to form in 2017. As Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News writes, Paea will be reuniting with Rod Marinelli, whom he worked under during his best years in Chicago, and his skill-set is well-suited to the Cowboys’ 4-3 defense.
  • Paul Perkins will be the Giants‘ starting running back this year, but as James Kratch of NJ.com writes, Perkins will be more of the lead back in a committee rather than a bell-cow. Kratch says Shane Vereen will get his share of carries, and Orleans Darkwa, Wayne Gallman, and Shaun Draughn all figure to be in the mix as well.

Doug Martin “Stepping Away” From Bucs

December 28th, 2016 at 2:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Doug Martin is “stepping away” from the Buccaneers to take care of some personal issues, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Martin was bumped from the active roster as a healthy scratch in Week 16 and the team was prepared to do the same in the regular season finale. The running back is expected to release a statement this afternoon.Doug Martin (vertical)

[RELATED: Buccaneers Place TE Cameron Brate On IR]

In Martin’s stead, Jacquizz Rodgers is expected to get the start. Running back Charles Sims is headed back to IR after suffering a pectoral injury. Behind Rodgers will be running backs Peyton Barber and Russell Hansbrough.

Last year, Martin gained 1,673 yards from scrimmage and scored seven touchdowns. He parlayed that success into a five-year, $35.7MM extension prior to the start of free agency. He’s slated to be under contract with Tampa Bay through 2020 and his guarantees mean that there’s little point to releasing him before the start of next season.

This weekend’s regular season finale will, in all likelihood, be the end of the line for the Bucs. In addition to winning their own game, the Bucs can only make the playoffs if they also see wins from the Cowboys, Titans, Colts, 49ers, and Lions with the Giants tying the Redskins.

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