NFL Workout Updates: 9/11/18
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Buffalo Bills
- DT Du’Vonta Lumpkin (link)
Carolina Panthers
- WRs Donteea Dye, Brandon Reilly (link)
Cleveland Browns
- RB Mark Thompson (per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com); TE Vince Mayle; G Spencer Drango; C Anthony Fabiano; LBs Richie Brown, Tegray Scales (per Caplan)
Green Bay Packers
- TEs Troy Mangen, Ethan Wolf; CBs Trevon Mathis, Linden Stephens (link)
Houston Texans
- OTs Christian DiLauro, Rees Odhiambo, David Sharpe; G Will Holden; DT Josh Banks; Ks Jon Brown, Sam Ficken, Kai Forbath; Ps Brad Nortman, Colton Schmidt, Justin Vogel; LS Zach Triner (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- FB Jalston Fowler; LBs Kennan Gilchrist, Nigel Harris, Jacob Pugh, Antwione Williams; DE Charles Tapper (link)
Los Angeles Rams
Miami Dolphins
- G Spencer Drango; C Anthony Fabiano; LBs Richie Brown, Tegray Scales; CB Herb Waters (link)
New York Jets
- LB Harvey Langi (link)
Seattle Seahawks
- LBs Tre’von Johnson, Emmanuel Smith (per Caplan)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- QBs Brogan Roback, Josh Woodrum; RBs Matthew Dayes, Akrum Wadley; WR Isaac Whitney; CBs Jeremy Boykins (link)
Washington Redskins
- QB Kyle Allen (per Wilson); WRs Jehu Chesson, Amba Etta-Tawo, Jordan Leslie, Devin Lucien, Ka’Raun White; LB Kennan Gilchrist (per Balzer)
Panthers TE Greg Olsen To Return In A “Few Weeks”
The timeline on Panthers tight end Greg Olsen‘s return from a fractured foot isn’t as dire as it originally appeared. Olsen says he’ll rest his foot for a “few weeks” and then return to play out the season, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
That’s an incredibly more positive outlook for Olsen, whom reports earlier today would be evaluated on a month-to-month basis. Olsen missed significant time in 2017 — and was eventually placed on injured reserve — after breaking the same foot, so a lengthy absence appeared likely. But Olsen won’t undergo surgery, as he’s confident an operation can wait until this offseason.
A quick return means Olsen will be viewed as an injury risk for the remainder of the year, as both his age (33) and his foot issue give reason for concern. But his presence will undeniably be essential for the Panthers, as the club doesn’t have the tight end depth to withstand a missing Olsen. With longtime Carolina tight end Ed Dickson now in Seattle, the Panthers will turn to rookie Ian Thomas and veteran Chris Manhertz until Olsen can get back on the field.
Olsen, who in April signed an extension through 2020, has been among the league’s best tight ends since joining the Panthers via trade in 2011. From 2014-16, Olsen earn Pro Bowl honors while topping 75 receptions and 1,000 yards in each campaign.
Vernon Hargreaves Possibly Done For Year?
Buccaneers cornerback Vernon Hargreaves suffered a “serious” shoulder injury on Sunday, tweets Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, and Adam Schefter and John Keim of ESPN.com add (via Twitter) that the injury may be season-ending. Hargreaves will receive a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday, per Stroud.
Tampa Bay was without veteran cornerback Brent Grimes against the Saints, so Hargreaves acted as the club’s de facto No. 1 corner against Drew Brees until going down with his own injury. The Bucs were reportedly optimistic that Hargreaves’ shoulder issue wasn’t serious, but an MRI may have told the club otherwise.
With Hargreaves possibly out of the picture, the Buccaneers’ problems at cornerback will become even more pronounced. Second-round rookie Carlton Davis‘ is now Tampa’s top corner, while Ryan Smith (a 10-game starter in 2017) will likely hold down the other starting spot. But given that the rest of the depth chart — Javien Elliott, M.J. Stewart, and the recently-signed Marcus Williams — doesn’t offer much NFL experience, the Buccaneers took a look at free agent defender Bashaud Breeland earlier today.
Hargreaves, the 11th overall pick in the 2016 draft, is still only 23 years old, but his career has been a relative disappointment thus far. After starting 16 games as a rookie, Hargreaves missed time with a hamstring injury last year, and wasn’t effective when he was on the field. Pro Football Focus’ grades indicated Hargreaves played like one of the worst corners in the league, and the Florida product finished as a bottom-five cornerback in Football Outsiders’ success rate.
If Hargreaves is out for the year, the Buccaneers will be able to immediately contemplate their now difficult decision on his 2020 fifth-year option. Tampa Bay must decide by May of next year whether it”ll exercise an option that would likely pay Hargreaves around $10MM (the figure was $9.06MM for corners in 2019).
Eagles Work Out QB Paxton Lynch
The Eagles auditioned quarterback Paxton Lynch and a host of other free agents on Tuesday, according to Adam Caplan of SiriusXM (Twitter link).
Philadelphia, of course, has already brought in one failed early-round quarterback this year in Christian Hackenberg, who didn’t make it through final cutdowns. Lynch, a first-round selection in the 2016 draft, has already met with the Bills and Lions since being cut by the Broncos last week.
Lynch, 24, failed to beat out seventh-round signal-caller Trevor Siemian in Denver for two consecutive seasons, and though he ultimately did make starts for the Broncos, his performances were abysmal. In four career starts, Lynch has completed only 61.7% of his passes for 792 yards, four touchdowns, and four interceptions, and was dreadful again during the 2018 preseason.
The Eagles don’t necessarily need another quarterback on their roster, as Nate Sudfeld is currently backing up temporary starter Nick Foles. Carson Wentz, still recovering from a 2017 ACL tear, is expected to be sidelined for a few more weeks.
Here’s the list of other players worked out today by Philadelphia, per Caplan:
- RB Fitzgerald Toussaint
- RB Martez Carter
- WR Shane Wynn
- LB Albert McClellan
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/11/18
Today’s practice squad updates:
Buffalo Bills
- Released: OL Gerhard de Beer
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: WR DeAndrew White
- Released: S Dezmen Southward
Denver Broncos
- Signed: DL Niles Scott
- Released: DT Kyle Peko, DT DeShawn Williams
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: CB Will Redmond
- Released: S Marwin Evans
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Breon Borders, WR Malachi Dupre
- Released: DT Darius Kilgo
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: G Sean Harlow, CB Tarvarus McFadden
- Released: OL Jamil Douglas
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: LS Lucas Gravelle
- Released: DL Cameron Mavlveaux
Oakland Raiders
- Signed: WR Johnny Holton
- Released: DB Terrell Sinkfield
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Tre Sullivan
- Released: CB De’Vante Bausby
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: CB Simeon Thomas, WR Mailk Turner
- Released: DT Frank Herron
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Jeff Richards
- Released: LB Azeem Victor
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: OL David Quessenberry
Washington Redskins
- Signed: WR Teo Redding
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/18
Today’s minor moves:
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived: OL Kadeem Edwards
Denver Broncos
- Signed: S Shamarko Thomas
Detroit Lions
- Claimed off waivers: G Jamil Demby
- Waived: WR Bradley Marquez
Green Bay Packers
- Claimed off waivers: CB Deante Burton
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Trevor Davis
Houston Texans
- Signed: CB Shareece Wright
Indianapolis Colts
- Released from injured reserve: WR Matt Hazel, DE Anthony Johnson, DE Chris McCain
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Activated from suspension: DE Dante Fowler Jr.
- Waived: DT Michael Bennett
San Francisco 49ers
- Released from injured reserve: FB Malcolm Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Keenan Reynolds
- Waived: S Shalom Luani
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: CB Marcus Williams
- Released: OL Adam Gettis
- Released from injured reserve: LB Devante Bond, LB Riley Bullough, CB De’Vante Harris
Washington Redskins
- Signed: DB Kenny Ladler
- Waived: LB Josh Keyes
- Placed on injured reserve: WR Cam Sims
Eagles Re-Sign WR Kamar Aiken
The Eagles have re-signed wide receiver Kamar Aiken, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Philadelphia originally inked Aiken to a pact this summer, but released him during final cutdowns. He didn’t garner any known interest over the past week, except from the Eagles, who worked him out on Monday.
Aiken, 29, posted a disappointing 2017 campaign: instead of running with the Colts’ second wide receiver job, Aiken managed only 155 receptions and 133 yards in 15 games (seven starts). His last meaningful production came in 2015, when the former undrafted free agent put up nearly 1,000 yards with the Ravens
Philadelphia currently has six receivers on its roster, but Alshon Jeffery is expected to be sidelined for several more weeks. Nelson Agholor, Mike Wallace, and DeAndre Carter saw most of the work in the Eagles’ season opener, while Shelton Gibson and Markus Wheaton are also on the club’s roster.
Raiders Re-Sign WR Martavis Bryant
The Raiders are re-signing free agent Martavis Bryant to a one-year deal, per Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link) first reported Bryant was nearing a deal with Oakland, while Mike Garafolo (Twitter link) first noted Bryant was back in the Raiders’ facility.
Bryant is reportedly facing a year-long suspension after once again violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, but nothing official has yet been announced on that front. As such, Bryant is eligible to sign and play until the league formally bans him.
Bryant is expected to play on Sunday, according to Pelissero, which would represent quite the turnaround for the 26-year-old pass-catcher. For now, he’ll slot into a receiver group that includes Amari Cooper, Jordy Nelson, Seth Roberts, and Brandon LaFell.
Oakland sent a third-round pick to Pittsburgh for Bryant earlier this year, but subsequently waived him during final cutdowns. Bryant passed through waivers (presumably because rival clubs believe he’ll be suspended), and was free to sign with any team.
By signing Bryant, the Raiders aren’t taking much of a financial risk. If he ultimately is suspended, Bryant wouldn’t collect his paycheck from Oakland while he’s away from the club. And he’s unlikely to ink anything more than a minimum salary contract, anyway.
Buccaneers Meet With CB Bashaud Breeland
The Buccaneers met with free agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Tampa Bay was torched by Drew Breees, Michael Thomas, and the rest of the Saints’ passing attack on Sunday, so the club is looking for all the help it can get. The Bucs, already short on cornerback talent with veteran Brent Grimes inactive, saw Vernon Hargreaves go down with injury in Week 1, leaving rookie Carlton Davis as the club’s top pass defender.
Breeland, 26, hasn’t been wanting for interest this offseason, as he’s either met with or been linked to the Raiders, Ravens, Browns, Colts, Chiefs, and Jets. However, no club has yet to sign Breeland, and while injury issues are surely playing a part in most teams’ decision not to ink the veteran defensive back, the Ravens — for one — believe he’s asking for too much money.
Breeland was originally a fourth-round Redskins pick in 2014 draft. A Clemson product, Breeland has been a starter from day one, totaling eight interceptions in 58 starts during his four-year career. Last season, Pro Football Focus ranked Breeland as the No. 50 cornerback among 121 qualifiers.
Breeland, of course, agreed to a three-year, $24MM deal with the Panthers earlier this year, but that contract was voided after he failed a physical. A foot injury that was subsequently infected is reportedly the root cause of Breeland’s health question marks.
Texans Place CB Kevin Johnson On IR
The Texans have placed cornerback Kevin Johnson on injured reserve, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
Houston head coach Bill O’Brien admitted on Monday that Johnson would likely miss time after suffering a concussion, with a return timeframe of four-to-six weeks as the likeliest outcome. With that in mind, the Texans moved Johnson to IR with the knowledge they can re-activate him after an eight-week absence.
Without Johnson in tow, the Texans are short on talent in their defensive secondary. Kareem Jackson moved to safety this offseason, leaving Aaron Colvin and 34-year-old Johnathan Joseph as the club’s starting corners. Free agent addition Kayvon Webster, luckily, is close to returning to action after suffering a torn Achilles in 2017.