HEADLINES

Month: April 2018

Daryl Worley Charged With DUI, Firearms Felony

April 16th, 2018 at 6:00pm CST by Micah Powell

Former Eagles cornerback Daryl Worley was charged with violation of the uniform firearms act, driving under the influence, disorderly conduct and other offenses stemming from an early Sunday-morning arrest, Les Bowen of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. 

Worley, 23, was found unconscious in a car near Broad Street in Philadelphia at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning. According to police, he was involved in a confrontation with officers who woke him and a taser was used to subdue him. Police also found a gun in the car that was not properly registered.

The Eagles released the cornerback Sunday evening while he was still in custody. His stay in Philadelphia lasted a little over a month, as the cornerback was acquired from the Panthers in a deal that sent Torrey Smith to Carolina in March.

In two seasons with Carolina, the third-round pick out of West Virginia recorded three interceptions and two sacks while starting 25 of his 31 games.

In addition to being released, Worley could face additional punishment from the league.

NFL Draft Rumors: Guice, Redskins, Patriots, Bills, Giants, Darnold

April 16th, 2018 at 5:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Running back Derrius Guice visited the Redskins at their team facility on Monday, a source tells John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Redskins have been public about their desire to add a pass-catching running back and Guice, with 18 catches last year at LSU, would fit the bill.

With needs to address on the other side of the ball, many believe that the Redskins will take a defensive player at No. 13 overall. However, the Redskins could probably trade back into the early 20s to take Guice and address their defensive holes later on.

Here’s the latest round of NFL draft news:

  • The Patriots hosted UCLA left tackle Kolton Miller on a pre-draft visit, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets.
  • Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen met with the Bills on Monday and will travel to the Giants on Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Meanwhile, USC QB Sam Darnold met with the Giants on Monday and will meet with the Jets on Tuesday.
  • Linebacker Rashaan Evans visited the Bengals on Monday, Rapoport tweets. The Bengals own the No. 21 pick in the draft, which could allow them to snag the Alabama standout.
  • Speaking of Alabama, Rapoport also notes that standout defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne met with the Redskins on Monday. Payne has shot up draft boards in recent weeks thanks to his remarkable strength. “He’s the best. He’s the best I’ve seen,”Alabama strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran said earlier this year. “I’ve never seen a guy hit 385 on the power clean every single year. His first year he hit 365 on the power clean and it was like wow, freshman, that’s incredible.”
  • USC running back Ronald Jones visited the Patriots on Monday, Rapoport tweets. Within the same tweet, he notes that Stanford safety Justin Reid visited the Panthers before heading off to his Steelers visit.
  • Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson took a pre-draft visit to meet with the 49ers on Monday, a league source told Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area. The 49ers have the ninth pick in the first round and Jackson is projected to come off the board as a middle-to-late first-round pick.
  • LSU pass-rusher Arden Key visited the Bears on Monday, Rapoport tweets. He also notes Memphis wide receiver Anthony Miller visited the Redskins on Monday and Tulane cornerback Parry Nickerson visited the Raiders.

Panthers Claim QB Taylor Heinicke

April 16th, 2018 at 4:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Panthers picked up quarterback Taylor Heinicke off waivers. The QB was cut by the Texans on Friday. 

Heinicke, 25, threw his only NFL pass to date in a 34-6 loss to the Steelers last year. The Old Dominion product hasn’t made much noise over the last three years with the Vikings, Patriots, or Texans, but he’ll look to stick on the Panthers’ roster as a backup to Cam Newton.

For now, Newton, Garrett Gilbert, and Heinicke are the only three QBs on Carolina’s roster. At the owner’s meetings, coach Ron Rivera indicated that veteran Derek Anderson could still be re-signed to serve as Newton’s primary backup.

“We’re looking for a guy that can eventually be the No. 2 guy for a long time,” Rivera said “We’re looking for that next guy, not necessarily to replace Derek but to come in and be ready to eventually replace him.”

Jets Claim K Nick Rose Off Waivers

April 16th, 2018 at 4:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets were awarded kicker Nick Rose from the Chargers. Rose was dropped by L.A. on Friday and subjected to waivers. 

Last year, Rose filled in for the Redskins while Dustin Hopkins was sidelined with a hip injury. Rose did well in Hopkins’ absence, connecting 10 of 11 field goal attempts and 18 of 20 extra point tries. When Hopkins returned for the ‘Skins, Rose was released and later signed with the Chargers. Rose make only one of his three field goal tries in two games, which didn’t inspire confidence in L.A.

The Chargers plan to have Caleb Sturgis and Roberto Aguayo duke it out in camp for the team’s kicking job, though they could also look at other options given their field goal issues last year. Meanwhile, the Jets will pit Rose against Cairo Santos.

Seahawks To Release DT Malik McDowell

April 16th, 2018 at 4:34pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have not yet cleared 2017 second-round pick Malik McDowell, and they are expected to release him in the near future, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The defensive tackle’s camp hopes another team will medically clear him. 

McDowell has yet to make his NFL debut. Last year, a summer ATV crash ruled him out for his entire would-be rookie season. In December, his career took another step back when he was arrested for disorderly conduct after an incident at an Atlanta night club. According to reports, McDowell demanded a refund on a $600 alcohol purchase. When he was told that he had no€™t yet paid that $600 tab, he got into a shouting match with club employees. When police arrived on the scene, he got into a verbal tirade with officers.

Last year, the Seahawks moved down three times from No. 25 before selecting McDowell with the No. 35 overall pick. At the time, it appeared be a savvy maneuver to land the Michigan State standout. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the latest draft miss from the Seattle front office.

Willie Snead Reports To Saints

April 16th, 2018 at 3:23pm CST by Zachary Links

Willie Snead‘s status for 2018 remains uncertain, but he is proceeding as though he’ll be with the Saints in 2018. On Monday, the wide receiver reported to the team for workouts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Snead was tendered by New Orleans at the lowest level this offseason, giving the Saints the right to match any offer sheet he signs (but no draft compensation). The wide receiver auditioned for the Ravens recently, but did not sign a deal with them. For now, he remains in limbo, but he could be getting close to signing his one-year, $1.907MM placeholder with the Saints.

Snead, 26 in October, was hardly a factor in the Saints™ offense last year. However, he averaged 70 catches for 940 yards and four touchdowns over the previous two seasons. Last year, as an exclusive rights free agent, he pushed for an improved contract and didn’€™t get it. He’s a long way from that big-money contract he wanted, but he could restore his value this year and look for a better payday next March.

The Saints added Cameron Meredith to their receiver group this offseason, meaning that Snead will have to fight for targets behind Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn Jr., Meredith, and Tommylee Lewis. On the plus side, quarterback Drew Brees tends to spread the ball around and the Saints did not land the high-end receiving threat they were seeking at tight end.

Rams S Lamarcus Joyner Signs Tender

April 16th, 2018 at 3:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Rams safety Lamarcus Joyner has signed his $11.287MM franchise tag, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). After inking the deal, Joyner participated in the Rams’ offseason workout program, which kicked off on Monday. 

In March, the Rams wrestled with the decision to franchise tag either Joyner or wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Ultimately, they tagged Joyner and allowed Watkins to test the open market. Watkins signed a surprisingly lucrative three-year, $48MM deal with the Chiefs with a whopping $30MM guaranteed at signing, numbers that were too rich for the Rams’ blood.

Joyner doesn’t have the same name value as Watkins, but he is a tremendous player in his own right. After spending most of his career at cornerback, Joyner moved to free safety in 2017 and enjoyed a breakout season. In 2017, Joyner started 12 games and graded out as the third-best safety in the NFL, per Pro Football Focus.

This year, Joyner will return as the Rams’ starting free safety, but the rest of the secondary will look decidedly different. Trade acquisitions Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib will be starting at cornerback while veteran Sam Shields will help support them from the bench. In the middle, rising sophomore John Johnson will start at strong safety.

Browns, Jags Not Interested In Dez Bryant

April 16th, 2018 at 2:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars are unlikely to pursue Dez Bryant, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Times-Union (on Twitter). Same goes for the Browns, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com hears. 

The Browns seem pretty well set at wide receiver with high-priced acquisition Jarvis Landry and Josh Gordon leading the way. Beyond those two, they also have former first-round pick Corey Coleman, athletic ex-Packer Jeff Janis, and others in the mix. Presumably, Bryant is looking for a situation where he would rank no lower than second on a team’s WR depth chart.

The Jaguars would have made a bit more sense for Bryant after losing Allen Robinson to free agency. Still, they have Marqise Lee, Donte Moncrief, and Dede Westbrook leading the way. It’s also likely that top exec Tom Coughlin does not see Bryant as a personality fit for his locker room.

While the Jags and Browns are not in on Bryant, other teams are expected to show interest. Late last week, ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter identified the Cardinals, Bills, and Packers as potential fits. The Ravens also reportedly have interest.

Dolphins Sign TE Gavin Escobar

April 16th, 2018 at 2:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins announced that they have signed tight end Gavin Escobar. Escobar became available last week when he was cut loose by the Browns.

Escobar, 27, never lived up his to second-round draft status with the Cowboys. In four seasons with Dallas, he managed just 30 receptions for 333 yards. He inked a minimum salary benefit contract with the Chiefs in March of 2017, but did not make the final cut. He later hooked on with the Ravens, but he did not record an official statistic in his two games with the club.

The Dolphins did not re-sign tight ends Julius Thomas and Anthony Fasano and both players remain on the open market. As it stands, Escobar will look to fight for a roster spot in a group that includes A.J. Derby, MarQueis Gray, and Thomas Duarte.

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