Bryan Stork “Stepping Away” From NFL
Free agent offensive lineman Bryan Stork has decided to “step away” from the NFL, as Stork himself tweeted today. Stork, 26, cautions that he isn’t officially retiring, which leaves open the possibility that he may return to the league at some point.
Stork, a former fourth-round pick, played two seasons with the Patriots (and managed 17 starts) before being involved in a curious set of transactions last summer. After reports indicated New England would waive Stork, he was then dealt to the Redskins for minimal compensation. Stork reportedly contemplated retirement, and the trade was subsequently after Stork failed his physical with Washington.
Stork was officially cut loose by the Patriots following those machinations, but he kept working out for clubs in the hopes of landing a job. Over the next several months, Stork met with the Jets, Browns, Giants, and Bears, but wasn’t able to come to terms with any of those clubs.
If this is the end of Stork’s NFL tenure, he’ll have hung up his cleats with a Super Bowl title under his belt, as he was a member of the 2014 Patriots club that defeated the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. The year prior, Stork won a NCAA Championship as part of the Florida State team the took down Auburn in 2014.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/1/16
Tuesday is workout day in the NFL, and today was no different. Due to the sheer volume of today’s auditions, we’ll split up the reports by conference:
AFC
- The Dolphins worked out players on both sides of the ball. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team auditioned running back Jonas Gray and defensive end Martin Ifedi.
- Besides signing Bishop Sankey, the Chiefs also worked out running backs Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Caplan tweets that the team also worked out defensive end Rakim Cox and wideout Marcus Johnson.
- The Colts worked out a trio of defenders today, according to Caplan (via Twitter): defensive tackle Jordan Hill, inside linebacker Nate Irving, and linebacker Danny Lansanah.
- Three offensive tackles worked out for the Jets, according to Caplan (on Twitter): Rob Crisp, Pierce Burton, and Jesse Davis.
- The Titans auditioned three wideouts and two guards, according to Caplan (on Twitter). Receivers Jeremy Ross, Dres Anderson, and Jonathan Krause were in for workouts, as were offensive guards Dallas Thomas and Josh LeRibeus.
NFC
- The Bears worked out a pair of defensive backs, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter): Rashaad Reynolds and Ryan White. The team also worked out former Patriots offensive lineman Bryan Stork, as well as running back Daniel Davie.
- Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the Lions hosted a number of players this afternoon: tight end Matthew Mulligan, linebackers Ben Jacobs and Trevor Bates, and cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Jeremiah McKinnon.
- Three cornerbacks worked out for the Packers, according to Caplan (on Twitter): Duke Thomas, Cleveland Wallace, and Larry Scott.
- Before adding Vinnie Sunseri to the practice squad, the 49ers took a look at former Saints defensive back Marcus Ball (via Nick Underhill on Twitter). Caplan adds that the team also auditioned defensive tackle Lars Koht and defensive end Mike Rose.
- The Seahawks worked out cornerback Pierre Desir, reports Caplan (via Twitter).
Giants Work Out Bryan Stork, Other OL
The Giants worked out several free agent offensive lineman today, as the club took at look at Bryan Stork, Josh LeRibeus, Khaled Holmes, and Daniel Munyer according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
[RELATED: New York Giants Depth Chart]
In late August, Stork was supposedly on the verge of being released by the Patriots. However, the Redskins got word that Stork was about to be cut and worked out a trade with the Patriots. Hours later, it was learned that Stork was thinking about retirement. The Redskins convinced Stork to continue playing football, but he wound up failing the physical. Ultimately, the trade was rescinded, the Redskins lost the backup center (or maybe even starting center) they desperately needed, and the Patriots lost out on getting a conditional seventh-round pick.
LeRibeus, 26, was selected by Washington in the third round (71st overall) in the 2012 draft. The SMU product played in just 12 games, including one start, during his first three years in the NFL, but was thrust into action last season when starting center Kory Lichtensteiger missed a good chunk of the year due to a neck injury. Despite accruing that experience, LeRibeus was released at final cutdowns.
A fourth-round Colts pick in 2013, Holmes started seven games with Indianapolis last season. But the Colts cut Holmes in May after the first-round selection of Ryan Kelly. Holmes played in 17 games during his three-year stay with the team, starting nine. He signed on with the Bears during the summer, but didn’t make it through to Chicago’s 53-man roster.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Browns Audition Bryan Stork
The Browns worked out free agent center Bryan Stork today, reports Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Cleveland is in dire straits at the center position, as former first-round pick Cameron Erving is banged up, while recent waiver claim Austin Reiter is done for the year.
[RELATED: Josh Gordon To Remain On Suspended List]
In late August, Stork was supposedly on the verge of being released by the Patriots. However, the Redskins got word that Stork was about to be cut and worked out a trade with the Patriots. Hours later, it was learned that Stork was thinking about retirement. The Redskins convinced Stork to continue playing football, but he wound up failing the physical. Ultimately, the trade was rescinded, the Redskins lost the backup center (or maybe even starting center) they desperately needed, and the Patriots lost out on getting a conditional seventh-round pick.
Stork, 26 in November, emerged as the Patriots’ starting center just four weeks into his rookie season in 2014. In 2015, Stork suffered a concussion which limited him to just eight games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Center Bryan Stork Visiting Jets Today
Former Patriots center Bryan Stork is visiting the Jets today, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets. Stork was cut loose by New England prior to the start of the season, but there was much more to it than that. 
In late August, Stork was supposedly on the verge of being released by the Patriots. However, the Redskins got word that Stork was about to be cut and worked out a trade with the Patriots. Hours later, it was learned that Stork was thinking about retirement. The Redskins convinced Stork to continue playing football, but he wound up failing the physical. Ultimately, the trade was rescinded, the Redskins lost the backup center (or maybe even starting center) they desperately needed, and the Patriots lost out on getting a conditional seventh-round pick.
Stork, 26 in November, emerged as the Patriots’ starting center just four weeks into his rookie season in 2014. In 2015, Stork suffered a concussion which limited him to just eight games. In 2016, he could join up with the rival Jets in support of starter Nick Mangold.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Patriots To Waive Bryan Stork
The Patriots have decided to waive center Bryan Stork after a trade that would have sent Stork to the Redskins fell through, according to Doug Kyed of NESN.com (Twitter link).
For those of you keeping score at home, here’s the finally tally of Stork’s travels over the last week. On Wednesday, Stork was supposedly on the verge of being released by the Patriots. However, the Redskins got word that Stork was about to be released and, rather than fight it out with other teams on the open market, they worked out a trade with the Patriots. Hours later, it was learned that Stork was thinking about quitting football altogether. The Redskins got Stork to change his mind, but it turns out he’s not healthy enough to play right now anyway.
Stork, 25 (26 in November), emerged as the Patriots’ starting center just four weeks into his rookie season in 2014, and finished the year there. Pro Football Focus’ grades suggested that Stork’s performance was somewhat up and down, but most of his worst performances came during the first half of the season. In 2015, Stork suffered a concussion which limited him to just eight games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bryan Stork Trade Rescinded
Bryan Stork won’t be joining the Redskins after all. The center failed his physical with his new team, meaning that the trade between the Redskins and the Patriots has been rescinded, as Chris Cooley of ESPN 980 tweets. Stork’s rights will revert back to the Patriots while the Redskins get the conditional seventh-round pick back.
For those of you keeping score at home, here’s the finally tally of Stork’s travels over the last week. On Wednesday, Stork was supposedly on the verge of being released by the Patriots. However, the Redskins got word that Stork was about to be released and, rather than fight it out with other teams on the open market, they worked out a trade with the Patriots. Hours later, it was learned that Stork was thinking about quitting football altogether. The Redskins got Stork to change his mind, but it turns out he’s not healthy enough to play right now anyway.
Had Stork actually joined Washington, he would have likely slotted in as the No. 2 center to Kory Lichtensteiger. In fact, there were some rumblings that the Redskins were hoping that Stork could push Lichtensteiger for the starting job. Now, Washington will have to look for interior line help elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bryan Stork To Report To Redskins
SUNDAY, 10:05am: In the clearest sign yet that Stork will report to the Redskins, Stork himself tweeted that he is looking forward to making great memories in Washington, and he added a “Hail to the Redskins” hashtag at the end of his tweet.
SATURDAY, 11:25am: While most reports indicate that Stork will indeed report, Redskins coach Jay Gruden didn’t necessarily sound convinced following his team’s preseason win last night.
As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com notes, Gruden said the lineman will “supposedly” report to the Redskins today, although he notes that Stork still has to make a “final decision.”
THURSDAY, 8:55pm: Stork has informed the Redskins that he will report to team headquarters this weekend, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post.
12:28pm: It sounds like Bryan Stork will suit up for the Redskins after all. The newly-acquired center was leaning towards retirement, but he is now expected to be in town and ready to go this weekend, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter).
For those of you who weren’t following Storkgate on Wednesday, here is a quick recap. On Wednesday morning, Stork was supposedly on the verge of being released by the Patriots. Later on in the day, the Redskins got word that Stork was about to be cut loose they decided to work out a trade with the Patriots rather than duke it out with other interested teams. Hours later, we learned that Stork was thinking about quitting football altogether.
Had Stork opted to retire, he would have been forced to give up half of his $477K signing bonus (~$238K), in addition to losing his 2016 salary of $600K. His retirement also would have left the Redskins in a bad spot with their offensive line. Washington hoping that Stork will serve as a backup to Kory Lichtensteiger, or maybe even push him for the starting job.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Extra Points: K. Williams, Rambo, Texans, Stork
The NFL announced a change to its injury reports, as the “probable” label is no longer in effect, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. As the league explains in its memo, approximately 95% of the players listed as “probable” ended up playing in that week’s games, rendering it essentially irrelevant. No replacement is in store for the “probable” tag, as teams will rely solely on “questionable,” “doubtful,” and “out.”
More from around the league:
- Safety Bacarri Rambo is back to full health and is drawing attention from several teams as a free agent, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. A sixth-round pick in 2013, Rambo has so far played with the Redskins and Bills.
- Five teams have shown interest in one of Rambo’s ex-teammates and fellow free agents, former Bills running back Karlos Williams, Sal Capaccio of WGR tweets. That list of teams includes the Jets, who hosted Williams on a visit Tuesday.
- Henry Melton‘s one-year deal with the Broncos is for $760K and doesn’t include any guaranteed money, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. His pact counts for $600K against the Broncos’ cap.
- The Texans did not have interest in former Patriots center Bryan Stork, now with the Redskins, when they thought he was about to hit free agency, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle tweets. That’s a little bit surprising given the high-ankle sprain recently suffered by rookie center Nick Martin, who was set to start. For now, Toledo product Greg Mancz is slated to take that role. Mancz spent his rookie season on IR with a knee injury that required surgery. Reviews on him have been positive, and Houston apparently prefers him to Stork, a former starter for the Pats.
- If you’d like a roundup of all the Joey Bosa news from Wednesday, you’re in luck. Links: 1, 2, 3, 4.
Patriots Trade Bryan Stork To Redskins
5:18pm: If Stork does retire in the wake of the trade, he’ll owe the Redskins half of his $477K signing bonus – $238,500 – in addition to losing his 2016 salary of $600K, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
4:37pm: The Redskins have officially announced the trade, which seemingly indicates that Stork is not going to retire.
2:15pm: The Redskins traded a conditional seventh-round pick to Patriots for Stork, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
1:49pm: Turns out, the Patriots didn’t cut Bryan Stork after all. The center has been traded to the Redskins, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). 
On Wednesday morning, it was reported that the Patriots were set to release Stork. Instead, the Redskins swooped in and offered up a conditional draft pick for the veteran center.
Stork can provide some much needed depth for the Redskins at center. Starter Kory Lichtensteiger was limited to five games last season and would-be backup Spencer Long is ticketed to play left guard with Shawn Lauvao sidelined. Josh LeRibeus is the team’s other option at center, but he struggled in that role in 2015.
Stork, 25 (26 in November), emerged as the Patriots’ starting center just four weeks into his rookie season in 2014, and finished the year there. Pro Football Focus’ grades suggested that Stork’s performance was somewhat up and down, but most of his worst performances came during the first half of the season. In 2015, Stork suffered a concussion which limited him to just eight games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.