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Workout Notes: Bears, Broncos, Packers

October 7th, 2015 at 9:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a roundup of today’s auditions from around the NFL. All links go to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle on Twitter), unless noted otherwise..

The Lions worked out nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, nose tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, and defensive end Jerel Worthy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
The Seahawks worked out cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chimdi Chekwa, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
The Bears worked out wide receivers Marcus Lucas and Nathan Palmer, guard Cole Manhart, and tackles Tyler Moore and Byron Stingily (link).
The Broncos worked out punter Kasey Redfern (link).
The Packers worked out running back Akeem Hunt, wide receiver Donatella Luckett, quarterback Phillip Sims, wide receiver Tyler Slavin, running back Dreamius Smith, linebacker Colton Underwood, and linebacker Matthew Wells (link).
The Dolphins worked out wide receivers Isaiah Burse and Rannell Hall, defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel, guards Vinston Painter and Anthony Steen, defensive tackle Olsen Pierre, linebacker Mike Reilly, strong safety Brandian Ross, and defensive end Quanterus Smith (link + link).
The Saints worked out punter Steven Clark, guard Travis Bond, punter Robert Malone, guard Jacques McClendon, and punter Brian Moorman (link).
The Giants worked out defensive end Jake Bequette, tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Cody Fajardo, and tight end Brian Leonhardt (link).
The Jets worked out defensive end DeAngelo Tyson (link).
The Bucs worked out linebacker Ronald Powell (link).
The Titans worked out David Arkin, James Brewer, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Alex Kupper, Joe Looney, and Cody White (link).
Defensive tackle Joe Vellano worked out for the Lions today (link).

NFC Notes: Roberts, Saints, Ebron, 49ers

October 7th, 2015 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

Responding to a suggestion from Peter King of TheMMQB.com that Washington wide receiver Andre Roberts could be a logical trade target for the Ravens, Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes that such a deal wouldn’t make much financial sense for Baltimore — or, presumably, any other team. Roberts is guaranteed a $2.75MM salary in 2015, the second season of a four-year contract, which is a significant amount of money for a player who has been banged up and unable to earn much playing time lately. That means Roberts is probably sticking in D.C. for now.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Kai Forbath‘s workout tour continues in New Orleans, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Forbath and Randy Bullock will be among the kickers auditioned by the Saints. Forbath has tried out for several teams in recent weeks, and was said to be the runner-up for clubs like the Texans and Eagles.
Lions tight end Eric Ebron tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson (all Twitter links) that it could take up to three weeks for him to recover from the knee injury he sustained on Monday night, but he’s relieved that it won’t require surgery.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hasn’t spoken to Roddy White yet about the receiver’s desire for more touches and a bigger role in the offense, but stressed that White is an important part of the team moving forward, says Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Coming off a 17-3 loss, the 49ers trading an offensive player for a defensive player – as the team did yesterday – might not make much sense on the surface, but Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks it was a good move.

Workout Notes: Brown, Cadet, Jets

October 6th, 2015 at 7:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Could two notable free agent running backs find an NFL home soon? The Colts auditioned Bryce Brown and the Jets worked out running back Travaris Cadet, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was unable to stick with the Bills this year. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.

Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year before his release in late September.

Here’s a look at today’s workouts..

The Jets worked out defensive tackle Davon Coleman, linebacker Julian Stanford, and defensive back Phillip Thomas, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Giants worked out four tight ends on Tuesday, including their former fourth-round pick Adrien Robinson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
The Packers worked out former Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
Kicker Marvin Kloss worked out for the Buccaneers, Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets. Of course, the Bucs wound up going with Connor Barth as their new placekicker.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/6/15

October 6th, 2015 at 6:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..

The Panthers signed defensive end Wes Horton just days after cutting him, as Joe Person of the Charlotte Observer tweets. To make room, offensive tackle offensive tackle David Foucault has been waived. If Foucault clears waivers, he will be signed to the practice squad, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets.
The Rams have re-signed linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar to the roster, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets.
The Bears have promoted tackle Nick Becton from the taxi squad to the 53-man roster, as Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets.
The Buccaneers announced that they have promoted defensive end Howard Jones to the active roster from the practice squad.
Also, Buccaneers defensive end T.J. Fatinikun has been placed on IR after suffering a knee injury in the second half of Sunday’s game against Carolina. He had just returned from a shoulder injury to appear in the Bucs’ last two games, recording one tackle and two stops on special teams. Last year, his first in the NFL, Fatinikun played in ten Buccaneer games and had eight tackles and a half-sack.
The Saints signed veteran tackle Tony Hills, as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com (on Twitter).

Saints To Release Kenny Phillips

October 6th, 2015 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

With Jairus Byrd apparently set to resume full-time duty in the Saints’ secondary, the team is releasing veteran safety Kenny Phillips, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link).

Phillips, released by New Orleans as the team reduced its roster to 53 players before the season began, rejoined the Saints after Week 1, and has started three games since then. The former first-round pick, who spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Giants, logged 12 tackles this year with the Saints.

The Saints have yet to make an official announcement to confirm the transaction, but it would make sense if Phillips’ release was the corresponding roster move for the signing of punter Brandon Fields, a deal reported earlier this afternoon.

Saints To Sign Brandon Fields

October 6th, 2015 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

With incumbent punter Thomas Morstead battling a strained quad, the Saints brought in free agents for a look this week, and have decided to sign former Dolphin Brandon Fields, according to Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Fields’ agent, Ian Greengross, confirmed the agreement, tweeting a congratulatory message to his client.

Fields, 31, is only two years removed from a Pro Bowl season for Miami in 2013. The veteran served as the Dolphins’ punter for eight seasons before being let go earlier this year. Despite restructuring his contract to make his 2015 cap hit more palatable, Fields was beaten out by Matt Darr for the Dolphins’ punting job.

With Morstead only expected to be sidelined for a week or two, Fields may not stick around on New Orleans’ roster for long, but he’ll play until Morstead is ready to return, tweets Marvez.

Joel A. Erickson of The Advocate first reported earlier today that Fields was among the punters to work out for the Saints.

Extra Points: Ravens, Mallett, Colts, Campbell

October 5th, 2015 at 8:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens completed a trade over the weekend, acquiring Chris Givens from the Rams for a future draft pick, and Peter King of TheMMQB.com wouldn’t be surprised if that’s not the last deal for a wide receiver Baltimore makes this season. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun agrees that the Ravens will certainly monitor the market, but notes that GM Ozzie Newsome isn’t the type to panic and trade future assets for a short-term fix.

Here’s more from around the NFL..

Texans coach Bill O’Brien told reporters that Ryan Mallett is still the team’s starting quarterback heading into Thursday’s game against the Colts, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Mallett completed 12 of 27 passes for 150 yards and one interception with a passer rating of 46.8 on Sunday against the Falcons.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) wouldn’t be surprised to see the Colts re-sign quarterback Josh Johnson on Wednesday.
Dolphins players “love” the newly-appointed interim head coach Dan Campbell but there’s concern about whether the play-calling will improve, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
After punter Thomas Morstead suffered a leg injury, the Saints are bringing in four punters for tryouts on Tuesday, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (on Twitter).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Norman, Reed, Bears, Bucs

October 5th, 2015 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Panthers GM Dave Gettleman doesn’t negotiate contracts during the regular season, but David Newton of ESPN.com wonders if the bye week might be an exception. If it is, perhaps Carolina could explore getting something done with cornerback Josh Norman this week, but as Newton acknowledges, that seems unlikely. Norman reportedly turned down a contract offer worth about $7MM annually prior to the regular season and a new pact would likely require an offer of $10MM+ per year.

Here’s more out of the NFC..

Washington may be in the market for a tight end once again, as Jordan Reed is dealing with an MCL sprain, an ankle sprain, and a concussion, per John Keim of ESPN.com. Head coach Jay Gruden said he’s concerned about Reed’s status, though he’s not sure yet about the magnitude of the injuries.
Former Giants wide receiver Julian Talley has a workout scheduled with the Bears on Tuesday, a source tells Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link). Talley was cut from the Giants’ roster at the end of the preseason, then released off the team’s practice squad last week.
With the Buccaneers searching for a new kicker to replace Kyle Brindza, head coach Lovie Smith said today that accuracy will be the team’s top priority — a big leg for kickoffs and longer field goal attempts would be a bonus (Twitter link via Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com).
After Zach Hocker missed a late 30-year field goal against the Cowboys on Sunday, the Saints are planning kicker tryouts this week, Alex Marvez of FOX Sports tweets.
The Rams are expected to re-sign linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar to fill the roster spot of injured linebacker Alec Ogletree, Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch tweets. However, they have not decided whether or not to sign him just yet (link).

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

NFC South Notes: Roddy, Brees, Brindza

October 4th, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Falcons receiver Roddy White is the franchise’s career leader in receptions, yards and touchdowns, but his role in their offense has dwindled significantly this year. White finished without a catch in Week 2, which snapped a streak of 130 straight games with a reception. He also went catchless in Week 3 and was quiet again Sunday, grabbing two passes for just 8 yards in Atlanta’s 48-21 drubbing of the Texans. The 33-year-old isn’t upset about his nearly nonexistent production, however, as the Falcons are 4-0.

“No complaints from me. We are winning. We’ve just got to continue to do what we’ve been doing and try to get better every week,” White said, according to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

NFC Notes: Cousins, Welker, Patterson, Rams

October 4th, 2015 at 1:38pm CST by Rory Parks

Connor Orr of NFL.com (via colleague Albert Breer) says Washington is fully committed to Kirk Cousins as its long-term starter under center. As head coach Jay Gruden says, “We’re all sticking by the plan and we’re showing Kirk that we have confidence in him. And hopefully it pays off and he’ll get better every game.” As Orr writes, the team never made such a statement about Robert Griffin III, who remains an “organizational window dressing.”

Now for some more links from around the NFC:

After trading Chris Givens to Baltimore in exchange for a future seventh-round draft pick, the Rams have an open spot on their roster. Per Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com, RB Trey Watts is eligible to return from suspension after today, and he would be the logical choice to fill that spot (Twitter link).
Wes Welker was very impressive in his recent workout with the Giants, and if Big Blue does not generate much production from the slot against Buffalo today, Gary Myers of The New York Daily News says the team may sign Welker to a contract, despite the obvious health concerns.
Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson has not had much opportunity to live up to his promising 2013 rookie campaign, when he hauled in 43 receptions for four touchdowns and added three rushing touchdowns and two kickoff return TDs to his final tally. However, given the injuries to Charles Johnson and Jarius Wright, Chris Miller of The Star Tribune writes that Patterson may finally get a chance to prove to head coach Mike Zimmer that he can be a productive member of the team’s offense.
With the Saints having traded Akiem Hicks to the Patriots last week, Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com looks at who might replace Hicks at defensive end, pointing to Bobby Richardson and Tavaris Barnes as linemen who could see more playing time.

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