Kendall Wright

Kendall Wright Signs With CFL’s Toronto Argonauts

Former Titans first-round pick Kendall Wright has signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. Wright, 32 in November, signed his last NFL deal in 2018 when he had a cup of coffee with the Cardinals.

[RELATED: Shane Ray Signs With Toronto Argonauts]

Wright, a 5’10” veteran receiver, does his best work out of the slot. The Titans used a first-round pick on the Baylor standout in 2012 and saw some promising results early on. In his second pro year, Wright tallied 1,079 yards and two touchdowns off of 94 grabs. But, after that, he never topped 1,000 yards in a season – or 800, for that matter. Despite the drop off, he did manage a career-best six touchdowns in 2014.

Wright’s last live NFL action came in 2017 with the Bears, but he’s been pushing for a return ever since. In that season, he was one of the Bears’ very few bright spots on offense as he racked up 59 catches for 614 yards.

In other Argos news, Toronto recently welcomed ex-Broncos first-rounder Shane Ray. Ray’s last regular season game came in 2018. After that, he inked a deal with the Ravens, but did not make their final cut in 2019.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/10/19

We’ve got another busy day of workouts, with many teams across the league hosting players.

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Cardinals Cut Kendall Wright, David Amerson

Two higher-profile veterans will lose their Cardinals roster spots to make room for younger players.

The Cardinals waived both David Amerson and Kendall Wright on Saturday to clear space for kicker Matt McCrane and defensive end Vontarrius Dora.

Both Wright and Amerson were in-season additions, the latter joining the Cards this week. But needs at other positions will send them to the waiver wire, where all vested veterans who are cut after the trade deadline go.

The Cardinals worked out McCrane on Friday, and this signing may be an indication Phil Dawson will not be able to kick on Sunday. The 20-year veteran missed practice time with a hip injury this week and is questionable.

This would be McCrane’s second game action as a rookie. He kicked in three games for the Raiders earlier this season but made just 5 of 9 field goals before being waived. The Kansas State product was in camp with the Cardinals and spent time on Arizona’s practice squad.

A former Broncos UDFA, Dora has not played in a game since the 2016 season but has spent this season on the Cards’ practice squad and has shown well during preseasons. Rodney Gunter and Robert Nkemdiche‘s statuses are in question for Sunday, and the Cards made an insurance promotion in Dora.

Wright caught on with the Cards earlier this year but has not played in a game since leading the Bears in receiving last season. Released by both the Raiders and Chiefs this year, Amerson logged numerous workouts before landing with the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Cardinals Re-Sign Kendall Wright

The Cardinals re-signed veteran wide receiver Kendall Wright, according to a team announcement. The Cardinals had two vacant roster spots prior to signing Wright, so no one had to be dropped in order to accommodate the deal. 

Wright, a 5’10” veteran receiver, originally signed with the Cardinals on Oct. 8 and was inactive for one game prior to his release ten days later. Wright offers 82 games of NFL experience, but he has probably lost a step or two since his early days with the Titans.

Wright was originally signed in order to bolster the receiving corps while Larry Fitzgerald was dealing with a hamstring injury. After Fitzgerald caught eight passes for 102 yards and a touchdown on Sunday against the 49ers, Arizona is confident about the 35-year-old’s health. This time around, Wright is on the roster to provide overall depth at the position.

With Wright in the fold, the Cardinals have six receivers on the roster as he rejoins Fitzgerald, Christian Kirk, Chad Williams, J.J. Nelson, and Trent Sherfield.

Cardinals Release WR Kendall Wright

The Cardinals released wide receiver Kendall Wright on Thursday, per a team announcement. In his place, the club promoted cornerback Deatrick Nichols from the practice squad.

Wright was signed just ten days ago, with Nichols being waived to create room on the roster. It’s not uncommon for teams to juggle veterans each week depending on needs, so it’s possible that Wright could be back soon with Nichols back on the waiver wire.

Wright, ostensibly, was signed as insurance in the slot for Larry Fitzgerald. But, Fitzgerald is a go for Thursday night despite his hamstring and back issues, so Wright was no longer needed in Arizona.

The Cardinals, with Nichols on the roster, will face the Broncos in a Thursday night matchup that could have serious implications for the losing team.

Cardinals To Sign WR Kendall Wright

Kendall Wright spent the preseason with the Vikings but didn’t make the team. He’ll now join the team that’s playing the Vikings on Sunday.

The Cardinals announced they’ve signed the veteran wide receiver. It’s a one-year deal for Wright, per ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). Arizona waived cornerback Deatrick Nichols to make room on the roster.

Having gone from leading the Bears in receiving last season, to being a Vikings preseason cut, to traversing the workout circuit, Wright will begin his seventh NFL season with the campaign more than a quarter complete. His latest such workout came with Arizona in mid-September. The 28-year-old wideout also auditioned for the Patriots, Redskins and Jaguars.

Since Wright is primarily a slot receiver, this is an interesting fit. The Cardinals typically use one of the greatest wideouts in NFL history in the slot, but Larry Fitzgerald has been battling a hamstring issue.

Fitzgerald’s been playing through it but hasn’t contributed his usual stellar work for the Cards just yet (17 receptions, 176 yards, no touchdowns). However, Arizona’s offense struggling as a whole is also contributing to Fitz’s stat lines. Josh Rosen completed just 10 passes on Sunday in the Cardinals’ first 2018 win.

Should he play in a regular-season game with the Cards, this will be Wright’s third team. The Titans used a first-round pick on the former Baylor pass-catcher in 2012 and employed him for five years, the last two with Wright being a marginal contributor. He signed with the Bears last season and caught 59 passes for 614 yards and a touchdown last season. Wright’s best work came back in 2013, when he hauled in 94 passes for 1,079 yards. He scored a career-high six touchdowns in 2014.

Cardinals Work Out WR Kendall Wright

The Cardinals worked out Kendall Wright and other (as yet unidentified) free agent receivers this week, but don’t plan to sign any of the pass-catchers, head coach Steve Wilks told reporters, including Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter link).

Wright inked a one-year, $1MM deal with the Vikings this spring that contained $400K guaranteed, but he was cut loose earlier this month. Scheduled to be Minnesota’s slot receiver between Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, Wright was beaten out by former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell for a starting spot. Given his lack of special teams prowess, Wright didn’t hold much appeal as a reserve for Minnesota.

Wright’s fit with the Cardinals also could have been suspect, as he’s played primarily in the slot throughout this career. In Arizona, that role is held by future Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald. A former first-round pick, Wright spent five years with the Titans before landing with the Bears in 2017. The lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal passing attack, Wright posted a team-leading 59 receptions and 614 yards in his only season with Chicago.

Since being cut by the Vikings, Wright has auditioned for the Patriots, Redskins, and Jaguars.

Jaguars Work Out Wright, Jones, Sims

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.

Redskins Work Out Paxton Lynch, WRs

While Breshad Perriman‘s Monday workout was enough to land him a Redskins contract, the team brought in several notable free agents for visits as it begins Week 3 preparations.

Paxton Lynch‘s workout tour continued with a trip to Washington, and Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets Kendall Wright and Michael Floyd were also part of the contingent to audition for the Redskins.

The Redskins mark the fourth team Lynch has auditioned for, following the Bills, Lions and Eagles. Washington is carrying just two quarterbacks — Alex Smith and Colt McCoy — on its active roster and doesn’t have any on its practice squad. Lynch still has P-squad eligibility. The 24-year-old quarterback could not come close to justifying his draft status in Denver, but other teams continue to kick the tires on the once-highly regarded prospect.

Wright and Floyd saw the Vikings and Saints, respectively, deem them preseason cuts. While it’s been a bit since Floyd had a steady gig, Wright led the Bears in receiving last season. Washington signed Perriman on Monday afternoon, making him its latest wideout addition this season.

Patriots Work Out WR Kendall Wright

The Patriots hosted wide receiver Kendall Wright and a host of other free agents for workouts on Wednesday, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

New England currently only has four wide receivers on its roster (excluding special-teamer Matthew Slater), and the club is counting on Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, and the recently-claimed Chad Hansen to shoulder the load until Julian Edelman returns from suspension in Week 5. In addition to Hansen, the Patriots claimed former Seahawks pass-catcher Amara Darboh off waivers on Sunday, but waived him with an injury designation on Tuesday.

Wright inked a one-year, $1MM deal with the Vikings this spring that contained $400K guaranteed, but he was cut loose on Sunday. Scheduled to be Minnesota’s slot receiver between Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, Wright was beaten out by former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell for a starting spot. Given his lack of special teams prowess, Wright didn’t hold much appeal as a reserve for Minnesota.

That Wright doesn’t play special teams (he has only four career ST snaps) could present a problem for his chances to earn a Patriots roster spot, as well, but New England’s dire need for receiving weapons could trump Wright’s weakness on teams. A former first-round pick, Wright spent five years with the Titans before landing with the Bears in 2017. The lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal passing attack, Wright posted a team-leading 59 receptions and 614 yards in his only season with Chicago.

Here’s the full list of free agents that were on hand for New England today, per Reiss: