AFC Notes: Titans, Bills, Raiders, Texans, Fins
The Titans made wide receiver Kendall Wright a healthy scratch for their season finale last Sunday, and now the impending free agent is ready to leave Tennessee. “I saw the 2017 Tennessee Titans, and I am not a part of the 2017 Tennessee Titans,” Wright told TitansOnline.com on Monday (via Chris Wesseling of NFL.com). “It is what it is. I respect everybody in the building.” A first-round pick in 2012, Wright began his career with three straight seasons of at least 57 catches and 93 targets, but the Titans tamped down their reliance on him the past two years. In 21 games dating back to 2015, Wright has combined for just 65 receptions and 102 targets. Now, with a trip to the open market looming, Wright feels “free.”
While Wright looks like a lock to exit the organization, two of his coaches – Bob Bratkowski (receivers) and Jason Tucker (assistant WRs) – definitely won’t be back in 2017. The Titans parted ways with the duo Wednesday, tweets Jim Wyatt of the team’s website.
More from the AFC:
- The Bills will interview their interim head coach, Anthony Lynn, on Thursday, according to John Wawrow of the Associated Press (Twitter link). There was a report Tuesday that Lynn might not want to take over on a permanent basis in Buffalo, though he’s at least keeping that option on the table. The 48-year-old is a popular candidate around the NFL, as PFR’s Head Coaching Search Tracker shows.
- Raiders safety Karl Joseph says he’ll play in Saturday’s wild-card matchup in Houston, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. The rookie missed the last four games of the regular season, and his return is big for Oakland with Nate Allen in the concussion protocol.
- Unlike Joseph, Texans quarterback Tom Savage won’t be available this weekend, relays Palmer (Twitter link). Savage suffered a concussion last Sunday, thereby reopening the door for Brock Osweiler to start, but there was hope that Savage would be OK to serve as a backup. That won’t be the case, though, and the Texans will have to turn to Brandon Weeden as their No. 2 option.
- The Dolphins worked out linebacker Ron Thompson, defensive end Arthur Miley and four defensive backs – L.J. McCray, Floyd Raven, Trent Matthews and Daniel Davie – according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (Twitter link). Miami’s need for DBs is obvious, as its secondary is extremely banged up with the team’s weekend wild-card game in Pittsburgh approaching. Cornerback Byron Maxwell and safety Bacarri Rambo didn’t practice Wednesday, while safeties Reshad Jones and Isa Abdul-Quddus are on the shelf thanks to season-ending injuries.
- In addition to the previously reported Elijah Shumate and Jeff Richards, the Chiefs auditioned receiver Tre Houston, kicker Devon Bell, defensive tackle Montori Hughes, linebacker Deon Lacey, defensive end Terrell Lathan, tight end Ryan Malleck, running back Will Ratelle and defensive back Julian Wilson last Friday, per Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star. All are candidates to sign reserve/futures deal with the Chiefs, writes Paylor, who notes that now-starting running back Spencer Ware joined the team on that type of contract in January 2015.
NFL Workout Updates: 12/19/16
The Falcons worked out several safeties today, including veteran Dashon Goldson, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Goldson has already spent time with Atlanta this season, appearing in four games for the club earlier in the year. The Falcons also took at look defensive backs Earl Wolff and Floyd Raven as they seek to replace Kemal Ishmael, who was placed on IR last week.
Here’s more from the workout circuit:
- Veteran linebacker Joplo Bartu met with the Dolphins today, per Caplan (Twitter link). Bartu has been in the league since 2013, and has 48 games of experience — including 28 starts — under his belt during time with Atlanta and Jacksonville. However, the 26-year-old Bartu hasn’t started a contest since 2014.
- The Bears worked out a slew of players on Monday, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). Chicago met with the following players today: defensive ends Jeoffrey Pagan and Mike Rose; linebackers Taiwan Jones and Frank Beltre; and defensive backs V’Angelo Bentley, Forrest Hightower, Dwayne Hollis, Rashaad Reynolds, and Mitchell White.
- The Seahawks visited with free agent running back George Winn, tweets Caplan. Winn, who has bounced on and off the Lions and Giants practice squads this season, could add depth on a Seattle roster that has already lost C.J. Prosise and Troymaine Pope for the year.
- Running back Terrell Watson tried out for the Eagles today, according to Caplan (Twitter link). Philadelphia recently placed RB Wendell Smallwood on injured reserve, meaning Watson — a former Bengals and Browns preseason star — could be a fit.
Bengals Cut 11 Players, Down To 79
The Bengals have only four moves left to make in advance of tomorrow’s 75-man deadline. On Monday, the club announced that eleven players have been cut loose:
- FB Jeff Luc
- DL Jack Gangwish
- CB Corey Tindal
- S Floyd Raven
- LB Darien Harris
- QB Joe Licata
- WR Antwane Grant
- K Zach Hocker
- TE John Peters
- LB Jayson DiManche
The Bengals should be able to whittle down their roster a bit more by placing players like Cedric Peerman (fractured forearm) and fourth-round draft pick Andrew Billings (surgically-repaired meniscus) on IR. Defensive tackle Brandon Thompson (ACL) is also likely to hit the PUP list.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/5/16
Here are today’s reserve/futures contract signings from around the league. These deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2016 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ 90-man rosters.
Arizona Cardinals
- Taylor Boggs, C (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com)
- Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, C
- Mike Reilly, OLB
- Tyrequek Zimmerman, S
Baltimore Ravens
- Jerod Johnson, QB (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Cincinnati Bengals
- Zach Hocker, K (Twitter link via team)
- Dezmond Johnson, DE
- Floyd Raven, S
Green Bay Packers
- QB Ryan Williams (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com)
Indianapolis Colts
- Burton Pierce, OT
- Ben Heenan, G
- Edwin Jackson, LB
- Kitt O’Brien, G
- Dezmen Southward, DB
- Joshua Stangby. WR
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Quanterus Smith, DE (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
Kansas City Chiefs
- Kenny Cook, WR
- Dominique Davis, DE
- Cameron Gordon, LB
- Jordan Kovacs, DB
- Trey Millard, RB
- Alameda Ta’amu, DT
Miami Dolphins
- Jahwan Edwards, RB
- Robert Herron, WR
- Terrell Manning, LB
- Vinston Painter, G
- Anthony Steen, G
- Dax Swanson, DB
- Julius Warmsley, DE
- Jordan Williams, DE
New Orleans Saints
- Ashaad Mabry, DT (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune)
- Chris Manhertz, TE (Twitter link via Nick Underhill of The Advocate)
New York Jets
- Joe Anderson, WR (link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
- Deion Barnes, LB
- Brandon Bostick, TE
- Jarvis Harrison, OL
- Julian Howsare, FB
- Wes Saxton, TE
- Kevin Short, DB
- Deon Simon, DL
- Julian Stanford, LB
Oakland Raiders
- Garrett Gilbert, QB (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle)
- Giorgio Tavecchio, K
San Diego Chargers
- Kasey Redfern, P (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
- Torrence Allen, WR
- Michael Huey, G
San Francisco 49ers
- Corey Acosta, K (link via Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle)
St. Louis Rams
- David Arkin, OL (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
- Justice Cunningham, TE
- Zack Hodges, LB
- Zach Laskey, RB
- Deon Long, WR
- Matthew Wells, LB
Workout Notes: Jets, Giants, Pats, Colts
Wednesday’s workouts from around the NFL:
- The Jets worked out kickers Corey Acosta, Michael Barnard, Tommy Frevert, Andrew Furney, Zach Hocker, Marvin Kloss, and Giorgio Tavecchio as well as wide receiver/kick returners Trindon Holliday and Damaris Johnson, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Giants worked out running back Robert Turbin (now with the Cowboys), tackle Jake Rodgers, guard Jared Smith, linebacker Kevin Snyder, guard Anthony Steen, guard Donald Thomas, quarterback Dustin Vaughan, tight end Connor Hamlett, defensive lineman Toby Johnson, linebacker Jeff Luc, linebacker Mike Mohamed, and defensive back Floyd Raven, according to Wilson (Twitter links).
- The Patriots worked out running backs Dominique Brown and Marion Grice, wide receivers Andre Davis and Antwan Goodley, defensive end Glenn Foster, defensive backs Jonathon Mincy, and tight end Justin Tukes, per Wilson (Twitter links).
- The Colts auditioned defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi and tackle John Wetzel, Wilson tweets.
- The Dolphins auditioned tackel Cameron Clear, tight end Blake Annen, and linebacker Curtis Grant, Wilson tweets.
- The Seahawks worked out running back DuJuan Harris, Wilson tweets.
- The Rams worked out tackle James Brewer, Wilson tweets.
- With issues at long snapper, the Eagles worked out Tyler Ott and Patrick Scales, Wilson tweets.
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/10/15
Earlier today, we learned that the Ravens had signed running back Terrance West to their practice squad, cutting defensive end Nordly Capi to make room. That’s one of a handful of practice squad changes around the league today, so let’s round up the rest….
Chicago Bears
- To be signed: G/T Martin Wallace (Twitter link via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
Detroit Lions
- To be signed: T Tyrus Thompson (Twitter link via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press)
- Cut: RB Marion Grice (via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com)
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: DT Eric Crume (press release via team)
- Cut: DT Justin Hamilton
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: S Dezmen Southward, QB Alex Tanney (press release via team)
- Cut: QB Matt Blanchard, G Kitt O’Brien
New England Patriots
- Signed: OL Keavon Milton, OL Torrian Wilson (press release via team)
- Cut: WR Austin Hill, DB Floyd Raven
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: TE Rashaun Allen (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune)
- Cut: LB Henry Coley
New York Giants
- Signed: LB Nico Johnson, DT Louis Nix (press release via team)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: LB Matthew Wells (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: S Akeem Davis, DE Martin Ifedi (press release via team)
- Cut: WR Andre Davis
- Placed on PS-IR: DE Ronald Powell
NFC Notes: Ellington, Cowboys, Eagles
Cardinals running back Andre Ellington suffered a PCL sprain in Sunday’s game, as first reported by Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link) and confirmed by head coach Bruce Arians (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). While Anderson suggested a recovery timetable of two to three weeks for Ellington, Arians indicated his running back could just miss one week, and the team hasn’t ruled him out for its Week 2 game yet.
If Ellington isn’t able to practice by Friday, it will likely lead to a flurry of roster moves for the Cardinals, according to Arians. As ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss tweets, the team could promote running back Kerwynn Williams to its roster for next Sunday’s game against the Bears.
- With Dez Bryant expected to miss at least a month, the Cowboys will sign a wide receiver for depth purposes, tweets Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link), on the other hand, hears that the team is still undecided on whether to sign a receiver. If Dallas signs a wideout, I wouldn’t expect him to play a major role in the offense in Bryant’s absence.
- Sam Bradford‘s start in tonight’s game eliminates the possibility of the Eagles getting the Rams‘ 2016 third-round pick, as Adam Schefter of ESPN notes. Philadelphia would have received that pick if Bradford hadn’t been able to play a game this season due to injury. Now, it’s worth watching whether or not the former first overall pick will play 50% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps — if he doesn’t, Philadelphia will get St. Louis’ 2016 fourth-rounder.
- Former Eastern Washington offensive tackle Jake Rodgers, cut earlier this month by the Falcons, has a tryout with the Saints on Tuesday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
- Three defensive backs – former Rams cornerback Montell Garner, ex-Seahawks safety Ryan Murphy, and former Bengals safety Floyd Raven – worked out for the Packers, tweets Rob Demovksy of ESPN.com. Green Bay also auditioned defensive end Martin Ifedi, a 2015 seventh-round pick who was cut by St. Louis.
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News examines 49ers CEO Jed York‘s legacy in San Francisco.
- If St. Louis wants to keep the Rams, one critical issue to work through is who will pay cost overruns, a source tells Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
Workout Notes: Eagles, Giants, Jets, Saints
The Eagles, who parted ways with the polarizing Tim Tebow last week, auditioned a pair of quarterbacks on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Josh Johnson and Thad Lewis, who were both let go by their respective teams on September 5th, both worked out for Chip Kelly & Co. Johnson, 29, made an appearance during the Jets’ final preseason game, passing for 82 yards while adding 76 yards on the ground. Lewis, a 27-year-old signal caller recently released by the Browns, didn’t appear in a game with the Texans in 2014, but he did start in five games for the Bills in 2013.
Here are the latest auditions from around the NFL..
- The Giants worked out former Eagles quarterback/wide receiver/running back G.J. Kinne on Tuesday, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger. The Giants also worked out punters Brandon Fields and Kasey Redfern.
- The Jets had former Giants safety Stevie Brown in for a tryout today, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- Field Yates of ESPN.com reports that the Saints worked out tight ends Bear Pascoe and Gerell Robinson and wide receiver Austin Pettis (via Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune on Twitter).
- Ross Scheuerman worked out for Buccaneers today, according to a league source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Patriots auditioned two players today: defensive back Floyd Raven (formerly of Texas A&M and the Bengals) and linebacker Alex Singleton (formerly of Montana State and the Seahawks), according to ESPN.com’s Mike Reiss (on Twitter).
Bengals Reduce Roster To 53 Players
After having waived defensive tackle Devon Still earlier today, the Bengals have trimmed their roster down to 53 players. The team announced the corresponding moves via Twitter.
Waived:
- WR Michael Bennett
- OT Dan France
- OT Tanner Hawkinson
- CB Troy Hill
- G Trey Hopkins
- WR Jake Kumerow
- TE Matt Lengel
- T Matthew O’Donnell
- K Tom Obarski
- DS Floyd Raven Sr.
- LB Trevor Roach
- C Jake Smith
- RB Terrell Watson
- QB Keith Wenning
- RB James Wilder Jr.
- DT DeShawn Williams
Released:
- CB Brandon Ghee
- DS Shiloh Keo
Waived/injured:
- LB Jayson Dimanche
- LB Marquis Flowers
Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform:
Burfict is the most notable of the moves, as the former Pro Bowler will leave a hole in the Bengals’ defense. The former undrafted free agent played only five games last heason, compiling 29 tackles and one forced fumble.
Bengals Sign 11 Undrafted Free Agents
The Bengals have officially announced the 11 undrafted free agents they added to their rookie class for 2015. Here’s the full list, via the club’s official Twitter account, along with known bonus info:
- Troy Hill, CB, Oregon
- Chris Jasperse, G, Marshall
- Jake Kumerow, WR, Wisconsin-Whitewater
- Matt Lengel, TE, Eastern Kentucky
- Tom Obarski, K, Concordia-St. Paul
- Floyd Raven, DB, Texas A&M ($5K bonus, per Coley Harvey)
- Trevor Roach, LB, Nebraska ($2.5K bonus, per Harvey)
- Jake Smith, C, Louisville
- Terrell Watson, RB, Azusa Pacific ($6K bonus, per Harvey)
- Mark Weisman, FB, Iowa
- DeShawn Williams, DT, Clemson ($5K bonus, per Harvey)
While he hasn’t signed with the team, another noteworthy player is in attendance at Cincinnati’s minicamp this weekend. According to Zac Jackson of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link), quarterback Terrelle Pryor, having recently been cut by the Chiefs, is trying out for the Bengals.