HEADLINES

Bernard Pierce

Jaguars Sign Joplo Bartu; Bernard Pierce To IR

December 7th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Sam Robinson

A former Falcons starting linebacker, Joplo Bartu signed with the Jaguars after working out for the team earlier today, Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter).

Bartu will fill Bernard Pierce‘s roster spot, with the fourth-year running back heading to season-ending injured reserve with a calf injury.

Signed due to uncertainty surrounding Paul Posluszny‘s hand injury (per the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, on Twitter), Bartu could see defensive snaps soon. Dan Skuta‘s missed three straight games, and the Jags started rookie UDFA Thurston Armbrister against the Titans.

The Falcons cut the 25-year-old Bartu, who started 28 games in Atlanta despite arriving as an undrafted free agent, in November to make room for kicker Shayne Graham.

A third-year outside linebacker out of Division I-FCS Texas State, Bartu’s made 178 career tackles and 4.5 sacks in 28 career games.

Pierce only received six carries, gaining 11 yards, this season.

Ray Rice‘s former backup with the Ravens played in seven games this season, serving almost exclusively as a special teams cog. He rushed for a career-high 532 yards, averaging 4.9 per carry, as a rookie for the 2012 Super Bowl champions but hasn’t averaged more than four yards per tote since.

Jaguars Claim Bernard Pierce

March 19th, 2015 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

A day after he was cut by the Ravens following his DUI arrest, running back Bernard Pierce has been claimed off waivers by the Jaguars, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.

After facing criticism for mishandling the Ray Rice situation last year, the Ravens have been making a concerted effort to move on from players who run into legal trouble off the field. Terrence Cody, Victor Hampton, and Pierce have all been cut shortly after being arrested this year.

As such, it’s slightly surprising that any team would claim Pierce, particularly with his legal case still unresolved. Driving under the influence hasn’t been the sort of hot-button issue that domestic violence has been for the league within the last 12 months, but it’s still not a great look for a team to pounce on a player who faces a DUI charge.

Last season, Pierce appeared in 13 regular season games for the Ravens, rushing for a career-low 366 yards off of 93 attempts with two touchdowns. Even with Baltimore’s backfield situation in flux, Pierce was unable to become a major part of the rushing attack, slipping down the depth chart after Justin Forsett emerged as the team’s No. 1 back.

Pierce, who turns 25 in May, could face a suspension from the NFL, depending on the outcome of his pending legal case. He has one more year remaining on his rookie contract.

Ravens Release Bernard Pierce

March 18th, 2015 at 1:44pm CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens announced that they have released running back Bernard Pierce, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Pierce was charged with a DUI on Wednesday morning.

Pierce was already in an iffy spot with the team after coming off of a disappointing 2014 season. The Ravens have re-signed Justin Forsett with Lorenzo Taliaferro available to back him up. The Ravens’ recent pattern in dealing with arrested players has been to cut ties, so it’s not a big surprise to see Pierce let go.

As Clifton Brown of CSNBaltimore.com noted, former Ravens defensive tackle Terrence Cody was cut after being charged with animal cruelty last month. Cornerback Victor Hampton was also cut earlier this month after being arrested for driving while impaired. Baltimore also acted swiftly when it came to Hampton as he was cut less than 24 hours after the incident.

Last season, Pierce appeared in 13 regular season games for Baltimore. He rushed for a career-low 366 yards off of 93 attempts with two touchdowns. Even with the Ravens’ backfield situation in flux last season, Pierce was unable to become a major part of the rushing attack. Of course, the emergence of Forsett also suppressed his role.

Combine Notes: Lions, Kaepernick, Ravens, Osemele, Pierce, Ebron

February 22nd, 2014 at 9:01am CST by Matt Feminis
  • The Lions are “casting a wide net” in their search for receivers, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. The team has a “major deficiency” at receiver and is looking in the draft and free agency for a legitimate complement to Calvin Johnson. Said GM Martin Mayhew: “We want guys that, if, for whatever reason Calvin is getting doubled or he’s not playing in a particular game, that he can go out and make plays by himself. That was one of our things last year, when Calvin was injured, we struggled offensively a lot of times to get off or other players to get off. We’re going to be looking for receivers who can win one-on-one battles, win one-on-one matchups and make plays down the field.”
  • The 49ers and Colin Kaepernick are talking extension, tweets the Boston Globe’s Jeff Howe.
  • North Carolina junior TE prospect Eric Ebron has piqued the interest of the Giants and Jets, according to ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini.
  • The Ravens met with offensive tackle prospects Cyrus Kouandjio (Alabama) and Morgan Moses (Virginia), according to the Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson.
  • Kelechi Osemele (herniated disk) will be ready to participate in the team’s conditioning program in April, while Bernard Pierce (rotator cuff surgery) will be ready for training camp, adds Wilson.