NFL Workout Updates: 10/9/17
Here’s a rundown of Monday’s workouts from around the NFL that were not already noted on PFR:
Detroit Lions
- QB Alek Torgersen; WRs Amba Etta-Tawo and Devin Lucien (link)
Houston Texans
- CB Marcus Sayles (link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
New England Patriots
- P Matt Darr (Twitter link via Brett Tessler)
- DB Alex Carter, G Cole Toner, OT Storm Norton (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com)
New York Jets
- WRs Marvin Bracy and DeVon Edwards; DT Woodrow Hamilton; CB J.R. Nelson (link)
AFC North Notes: Steelers, Big Ben, Ravens
Following yesterday’s five-interception against the Jaguars, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger offered a concise report of his performance. “Maybe I don’t have it anymore,” Roethlisberger told Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com (Twitter link). While Roethlisberger could have been hoping for levity after a brutal loss, the comments do call into question just how much longer Roethlisberger will play, especially given that he’s contemplated retirement on multiple occasions. As Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, the idea of forfeiting bonus money could have swayed Roethlisberger into continuing his career in 2017, but that concept will continue in the next few years. If Roethlisberger hangs up it after this season, for example, he’d owe the Steelers $12.4MM in bonus money (of course, Pittsburgh isn’t obligated to collect that total).
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- Ravens running back Terrance West is expected to miss time after suffering a calf injury on Sunday, but he won’t facing a lengthy absence, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). West, 26, had been splitting carries with Javorius Allen and Alex Collins, and had managed 39 rushes for 138 yards and two touchdowns this season. With West sidelined, Allen figures to see even more work (he toted the ball 21 times on Sunday) while Collins could also see increased usage. But Baltimore may need to add a running back, as Allen and Collins are the only healthy runners on the roster. Practice squader John Crockett is a candidate for promotion.
- Tyler Boyd will also be out for a few weeks, as the Bengals receiver sprained his MCL in Week 5, tweets Rapoport. Boyd, who is facing a possible legal situation and was mysteriously a healthy scratch in Week 2, has been almost completely phased out of Cincinnati’s offense this season. The former second-round pick has been targeted only nine times, and managed just six receptions for 43 yards.
- The Ravens will be without yet another offensive lineman for the next several weeks, as guard Matt Skura suffered a sprained MCL and will miss two-to-four games, reports Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). Skura, who has started three games for the Ravens this season, will likely give way to rookie Jermaine Eluemunor at right guard. Baltimore has already lost front five players Marshal Yanda, Alex Lewis, and Nico Siragusa to injury.
- Free agent safeties Harold Jones-Quartey and Malik Smith, plus offensive tackles Korren Kirven and Victor Salako, worked out for the Browns, per veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Of that foursome, only Jones-Quartey has NFL experience, as the 24-year-old started 12 games for the Bears in 2016.
Patriots Work Out Owa Odighizuwa
The Patriots’ tryouts on Monday included former Giants defensive end Owa Odighizuwa, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. There’s no word yet on how the tryout went, but the Pats could use some pass rush reinforcements following the events of this past offseason. 
For much of the offseason, it seemed like Odighizuwa was prepared to walk away from football at the age of 25. After taking some time to mull it all over, Odighizuwa was a late entrant to Giants camp and put himself in the mix to make the final 53-man cut. He struggled in practice, however, and his four-game ban for PEDs was the final nail in the coffin.
Odighizuwa was a third-round pick of the G-Mne in 2015. He appeared in four games as a rookie and 14 last season, though he didn’t make much of an impact. His suspension expired this week, so he’ll be ready to rock immediately if New England chooses to sign him.
Colts Cut Chris Culliver From IR
The Colts are cutting Chris Culliver from injured reserve, as veteran NFL reporter Adam Caplan tweets. Culliver, if healthy, will now be free to sign with any team. 
[RELATED: Latest On Colts QB Andrew Luck]
The Colts signed Culliver in August with the hope that he could bolster one of the league’s worst secondaries from 2016. Unfortunately, a groin injury took him out of commission during the preseason, leading the Colts to put him on IR prior to the 53-man deadline.
Culliver, 29, was a 14-game starter as recently as 2014, but he has been hampered by injuries in recent years.After being released by the Redskins in the spring of 2016, Culliver sat on the free agent market until landing a one-year deal with the Dolphins in August. Still recovering from a torn ACL, Culliver began the season on the PUP list and was ultimately cut in November without ever having played a down for Miami. Culliver has not seen the field since Nov. 22, 2015.
Seahawks Work Out Branden Albert
It sounds like Branden Albert could play football this year after all. The offensive tackle worked out for the Seahawks on Monday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 
Albert, a former Pro Bowler, dominated headlines in the offseason. On paper, he was slated to start at left tackle for the Jaguars after they acquired him via trade with the Dolphins. After unsuccessfully pushing Jacksonville for a revised contract, Albert retired and then tried to flip-flop only to have the door slammed in his face. Albert has been free to sign with any team since August, but this marks the first mention of him we’ve heard this fall.
The Seahawks have had glaring holes on the offensive line for some time and Albert could help to improve the unit. Per the metrics at Football Outsiders, Seattle has just the 23rd ranked O-Line in the NFL. Left side starter Rees Odhiambo is the lowest ranked qualified tackle in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, and starting right tackle Germain Ifedi isn’t rated much better.
Albert missed one-quarter of last season due to injury and registered a career-worst 42.2 overall score on PFF. However, he’s been strong in the past, including 2013 and 2015 campaigns which resulted in Pro Bowl nods.
B.J. Daniels, Makinton Dorleant Suspended
Free agent running back/wide receiver B.J. Daniels has been suspended four weeks, and free agent cornerback Makinton Dorleant has been banned for one week, according to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer (Twitter links).
Daniels, 27, was a collegiate quarterback at South Florida but has had a difficult time finding a home in the NFL, vacillating between running back and wideout. He hasn’t been able to stick with a club, either, as he’s spent time with six different teams since entering the league in 2013. Most recently, Daniels was thought to be in contention for the Falcons’ third running back job, but an injury ended that hope.
Dorleant, meanwhile, appeared in four games for the Packers in 2016 after going undrafted out of Northern Iowa. He’d spent most of the season on injured resrve prior to that, however, and was placed back on IR in January. Dorleant, whose arrest is most likely tied to a March arrest for public intoxication, has worked out for the Bills, Chiefs, and Jets over the past month.
Raiders DT Darius Latham Suspended
Raiders defensive tackle Darius Latham has been suspended four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, the league announced today.
Latham, a 2016 undrafted free agent out of Indiana, appeared in 14 games (two starts) for Oakland last season, but had seen limited action in 2017. Sunday, in fact, represented Latham’s first action of the year, as he’d been inactive in the Raiders’ first four contests. He played 14 total snaps against the Ravens in Week 5, managing two assists in the process. Latham will forfeit roughly $125K in salary due to his suspension.
Oakland runs a rotation along the interior of its defensive line, as Mario Edwards, Eddie Vanderdoes, Denico Autry, Justin Ellis, and Treyvon Hester have all played at least 100 snaps. Entering Week 5, the Raiders ranked 11th in adjusted sack rate and 20th in adjusted line yards.
Rams Waive DB Maurice Alexander
The Rams have waived safety Maurice Alexander in order to clear a roster spot for wide receiver Mike Thomas, the club announced today.
Alexander, 26, started 14 games for Los Angeles in 2016 and had started four games for the club this season. The former fourth-round pick wasn’t playing all that well, however, as Pro Football Focus had graded Alexander as a bottom-10 safety in 2016. Alexander’s release is simply performance-based, according to Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com, who reports the Rams want to see more from young players Josh Johnson, Cody Davis, Blake Countess, Marqui Christian, and Isaiah Johnson.
Thomas, a sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft, was suspended four games for violating the league’s PED policy. A favorite of many in the draft community, Thomas managed only three receptions in 15 games during his rookie campaign, but also contributed on special teams. He joins a wide receiver group that also includes Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Tavon Austin.
Giants WR Brandon Marshall To Miss Time
The Giants are “bracing” for wide receiver Brandon Marshall to miss multiple games after suffering an ankle sprain on Sunday, according to Kimberly Jones of NFL.com (Twitter link).
New York stunningly lost its top four receivers to injury in Week 5, and two of them — Odell Beckham Jr. and Dwayne Harris — are now done for the season. Slot man Sterling Shepard, like Marshall, has an ankle sprain and is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks. The Giants signed wideouts Travis Rudolph and Tavarres King today, but have no interest in a possible reunion with free agent Victor Cruz.
Marshall, 33, signed a two-year, $12MM deal with the Giants this spring. He struggled in his first two games in blue, but had come on in Weeks 3 and 4, totaling 14 receptions for 112 yards in those two games. Marshall has yet to score a touchdown, however.
Texans To Work Out DE/LB Lamarr Houston
The Texans will audition defensive end/linebacker Lamarr Houston on Tuesday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).
The Buccaneers reportedly worked out Houston today, but the Texans have a far greater need along their front seven. Both J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus suffered season-ending injuries on Sunday, leaving the club without two of their top three pass rushers. While incumbent options such as Brennan Scarlett could see increased snaps, Houston would give the Texans another jolt in Mike Vrabel’s 3-4 scheme.
Houston, 30, was never able to stay fully healthy after inking a five-year, $35MM contract with Chicago prior to the 2014 campaign. In three seasons with the Bears, the 30-year-old Houston appeared in just 26 of a possible 48 games and made only 10 starts. He managed nine total sacks in Chicago, but eight of those came in 2015, his only healthy year with the Bears.