NFL Workout Updates: 10/1/18
Today’s tryouts:
Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals
Chicago Bears
- OL Willie Beavers, Will Holden, Marcus Oliver, Menelik Watson
Green Bay Packers
- DEs Joey Mbu, Kendall Reyes
Houston Texans
New York Jets
- DEs Jared Crick, Anthony Lanier; G Jamil Douglas; FB Jalston Fowler; CB Sterling Moore; WRs Brandon Reilly, DeAngelo Yancey
Philadelphia Eagles
- S Robert Golden, Charlie Miller; LBs Dewey McDonald, Hayes Pullard
NFL Workout Updates: 9/18/18
Here’s the latest from the NFL workout circuit on a busy Tuesday. All links to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted.
Arizona Cardinals
- LB Kennan Gilchrist, Hayes Pullard (Twitter link via Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan)
Atlanta Falcons
- CB Taveze Calhoun, CB Taurean Nixon, CB Malik Reaves (link)
Buffalo Bills
- DT Michael Bennett, DT Quinton Dial, QB Tyler Ferguson, CB Michael Hunter, OL Austin Pasztor, WR Hunter Sharp, WR Brandon Shippen, OL Jylan Ware (link)
Carolina Panthers
- T Isaiah Battle, TE Blake Bell, TE Billy Brown, TE Kyle Carter, T Roubbens Joseph, T Michael Ola, QB Dalton Sturm, T Darrell Williams (link)
Cleveland Browns
- WR Bennie Fowler, WR Dontrelle Inman, LB Azeem Victor (link)
Dallas Cowboys
- CB Jeremy Boykins, WR Chad Hansen, LB Ufomba Kamalu, WR Justice Liggins, DE Cameron Malveaux, WR Francis Owusu, T William Poehls, DT Christian Ringo, DT Adolphus Washington (link)
Detroit Lions
- DT Darius Kilgo (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, on Twitter)
Houston Texans
- RB Matthew Dayes, DE Anthony Lanier, RB Jeremy McNichols, CB Herb Waters, CB D.J. White, WR Isaac Whitney (link)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- T Gerhard de Beer, T Christian DiLauro, T Antonio Garcia, WR Francis Owusu, WR Brandon Reilly, WR Travis Rudolph (link)
Kansas City Chiefs
- TE Jerell Adams, TE Nick Keizer, TE David Wells, , (via Caplan, on Twitter)
Los Angeles Chargers
- G Spencer Drango, T Jamar McGloster (via Caplan, on Twitter)
Los Angeles Rams
- G Ian Silberman, T David Steinmetz, T Darrell Williams (link)
New England Patriots
- QB Kyle Allen, RB Andre Ellington, RB Charcandrick West (via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, on Twitter)
New Orleans Saints
- LB Jonathan Freeny, LB Josh Keyes, LB Darnell Sankey, LB Martrell Spaight (via Caplan, on Twitter)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- CB De’Vante Bausby, DE Hunter Dimick, DT Sealver Siliga, LB Emmanuel Smith, CB Herb Waters, LB Antwione Williams (via Caplan, on Twitter)
Tennessee Titans
- CB Makinton Dorleant, DT Darius Kilgo, DT Dee Liner, DT Jamie Meder, S Josh Robinson, CB Henre’ Toliver (link)
Washington Redskins
- G Kofi Amichia, G Jamil Douglas, T Chris Durant, C Jake Eldrenkamp, T Justin Evans, G Kaleb Johnson (link)
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)
Patriots Work Out WR Kendall Wright
The Patriots hosted wide receiver Kendall Wright and a host of other free agents for workouts on Wednesday, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
New England currently only has four wide receivers on its roster (excluding special-teamer Matthew Slater), and the club is counting on Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, and the recently-claimed Chad Hansen to shoulder the load until Julian Edelman returns from suspension in Week 5. In addition to Hansen, the Patriots claimed former Seahawks pass-catcher Amara Darboh off waivers on Sunday, but waived him with an injury designation on Tuesday.
Wright inked a one-year, $1MM deal with the Vikings this spring that contained $400K guaranteed, but he was cut loose on Sunday. Scheduled to be Minnesota’s slot receiver between Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, Wright was beaten out by former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell for a starting spot. Given his lack of special teams prowess, Wright didn’t hold much appeal as a reserve for Minnesota.
That Wright doesn’t play special teams (he has only four career ST snaps) could present a problem for his chances to earn a Patriots roster spot, as well, but New England’s dire need for receiving weapons could trump Wright’s weakness on teams. A former first-round pick, Wright spent five years with the Titans before landing with the Bears in 2017. The lone bright spot in an otherwise dismal passing attack, Wright posted a team-leading 59 receptions and 614 yards in his only season with Chicago.
Here’s the full list of free agents that were on hand for New England today, per Reiss:
- RB Kenjon Barner
- DB Quin Blanding
- RB Matthew Dayes
- WR Brandon Reilly
- RB Aaron Ripkowski
- LB Martrell Spaight
- LB Anthony Winbush
Bills Move Roster To 53 Players
The Bills have moved their roster to 53 players but cutting the following:
- DE Mat Boesen
- OG Ike Boettger
- DB Breon Borders
- DB Ryan Carter
- WR Kaelin Clay
- WR Corey Coleman
- OT Gerhard de Beer
- WR Malachi Dupre
- RB Keith Ford
- DT Rickey Hatley
- DE Albert Havili
- OT Josh James
- DE Mike Love
- DB Dean Marlowe
- TE Nick O’Leary
- WR Cam Phillips
- OT Mo Porter
- WR Austin Proehl
- C Adam Redmond
- WR Brandon Reilly
- RB Sam Rogers
- DE Ryan Russell
- LB Corey Thompson
- TE Keith Towbridge
- LB Tanner Vallejo
- DB Levi Wallace
- OT De’Ondre Wesley
- LB Xavier Woodson-Luster
- RB Travaris Cadet
- DE Terrence Fede
- DB Kelcie McCray
- P Jon Ryan
- WR Rod Streater
- DT Tyrunn Walker
Buffalo will take on dead money by releasing Coleman, whom it acquired from Cleveland earlier this year. Ryan lost out in the punting battle to Colton Schmidt.
AFC East Notes: Garcia, Jets, Osweiler, Bills
Last offseason, Patriots third-round offensive lineman Antonio Garcia was expected to play a role for the 2017 squad. A year later, the Troy product is rostered by one of New England’s division rivals, the Jets.
Garcia ended up missing his entire rookie campaign after blood clots were found in his lungs. The Patriots ultimately cut the lineman earlier this offseason, and he quickly caught on with the New York, where he’s been taking backup left tackle snaps during OTAs. The 24-year-old denied reports claiming he had lost nearly 40 pounds, and he didn’t sound particularly surprised by the Patriots’ decision to let him go.
“I just wasn’t cleared medically in New England. So, it is what it is,” Garcia told Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News. “I think they knew I was a good player.”
After learning of his diagnosis shortly before training camp was set to begin, Garcia admitted that the entire ordeal caught him off guard.
“It was definitely unexpected,” Garcia said. “It’s never happened ever in my life. How did I react to it? I was caught off-guard. But I had no choice but to accept it and try to improve every day.”
Let’s take a look at other notes out of the AFC East…
- As Brock Osweiler competes with David Fales and Bryce Petty to be the Dolphins backup quarterback, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald says the veteran needs to improve his accuracy if he has any hope of making the team. However, while Osweiler doesn’t seem to be the favorite for the gig, it sounds like he has the support of the coaching staff. “What Brock has is unbelievable command of the offense,” said offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains. “He was in it. He got to learn from the best in the game — No. 18 [Peyton Manning] — and when you watch his huddle etiquette, his line of scrimmage procedure etiquette, he does an outstanding job there.”
- Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News wonders if wideout Brandon Reilly could end up making the Bills. The former undrafted free agent spent most of the 2017 season on Buffalo’s practice squad, but a shallow receiver depth chart means he could earn a promotion in 2018. Skurski notes that Kelvin Benjamin is really the only wideout with a guaranteed roster spot, although he assumes Zay Jones and Jeremy Kerley will make the team. Otherwise, Reilly could realistically beat out any of the other receivers sitting on the roster.
- Rumors were flying around Twitter and New England yesterday regarding a potential Rob Gronkowski trade. Those rumblings ultimately proved to be unfounded, with one Patriots reporter saying there was “zero truth” to any of the reports.
Bills Place Matthews, Lawson On IR
The Bills are shutting down two of their starters for the rest of their seasons. Wide receiver Jordan Matthews and defensive end Shaq Lawson have been placed on injured reserve. 
To fill their spots, the Bills have promoted defensive end Cap Capi and wide receiver Brandon Reilly to the active roster.
Matthews was the Eagles’ leading receiver in 2016, but Philly spent much of the offseason looking to unload him. In August, they found a taker in the Bills, who shipped Sammy Watkins to the Rams on the same day. Buffalo gave up cornerback Ronald Darby to receive Matthews and a 2018 third-round pick.
Unfortunately, injuries have held Matthews back all year long. Matthews recovered from a broken thumb and fractured sternum, but he has been dealing with a knee issue in recent weeks.
In ten games, the wide receiver had just 25 catches for 282 yards and one touchdown. That pales in comparison to the 73 catches for 804 yards and three touchdowns he had in 2016 and the career-high numbers (85 grabs, 997 yards, eight touchdowns) he put up in the previous year. Matthews is scheduled for free agency in March and he was hoping for a much better platform when he arrived in Buffalo.
Lawson, meanwhile, sprained his ankle last Sunday and had to be carted off of the field. The No. 19 overall pick in the 2016 draft has appeared in just 21 games in his first two NFL seasons.
Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets are noted below.
Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day:
Buffalo Bills
- Claimed:
- LB Deon Lacy
- TE Khari Lee
- T Conor McDermott
- Cut:
- WR Corey Brown (story)
- LB Gerald Hodges (story)
- RB Jonathan Williams (story)
- Cut from IR:
- LB Sam Barrington (story)
- Signed to practice squad:
- WR Daikiel Shorts
- WR Brandon Reilly
- OL Jordan Mudge
- DE Ian Seau
- DL Marquavius Lewis
- CB Marcus Sayles
- S B.T .Sanders
Miami Dolphins
- Claimed:
- LB Justin March-Lillard
- K Cody Parkey (story)
- Cut:
- Signed to practice squad:
- QB Brandon Doughty
- TE Thomas Duarte
- T Sean Hickey
- WR Malcolm Lewis
- CB Jordan Lucas
- DE Cameron Malveaux
- WR Drew Morgan
- RB De’Veon Smith
New England Patriots
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Trevor Bates
- OL James Ferentz
- RB D.J. Foster
- DL Geneo Grissom
- WR Cody Hollister
- DB David Jones
- OL Ted Karras
- DL Darius Kilgo
- DB Damarius Travis
New York Jets
- Claimed:
- WR Kalif Raymond
- LB Edmond Robinson
- WR Damore’ea Stringfellow
- TE Will Tye (story)
- Cut:
- LB Freddie Bishop
- LB Bruce Carter
- RB Marcus Murphy,
- TE Jason Vander Laan
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Frank Beltre
- OL Ben Braden
- CB Xavier Coleman
- DL Deon Simon
Bills Cut 30 Players, Reach 53-Man Limit
The Bills have reached the 53-man max in advance of the deadline. Here’s the full rundown of their moves, courtesy of the team.
Released:
- QB Keith Wenning
- RB Jordan Johnson
- WR Daikiel Shorts
- WR Brandon Reilly
- WR Dezmin Lewis
- TE Wes Saxton
- TE Rory Anderson
- OL Cameron Jefferson
- OL Jordan Mudge
- OL Greg Pyke
- OL Zach Voytek
- DE Max Vallea
- DE Ian Seau
- DT Nigel Williams
- DT Marquavius Lewis
- LB Abner Logan
- LB Jacob Lindsey
- LB Carl Bradford
- CB Bradley Sylve
- CB Marcus Sayles
- S Adrian McDonald
- S Joe Powell
- S B.T. Sanders
Released with injury settlement:
- WR Rod Streater
- S Shamiel Gary
Waived/Injured:
- WR Jeremy Butler
- OL Michael Ola
Placed on IR:
Reserve/Suspended:
Bills Sign 13 UDFAs
The Bills have signed 13 undrafted free agents. Here’s the full list:
- RB Jordan Johnson (Buffalo)
- G Greg Pyke (Georgia)
- DT Nigel Williams (Virginia Tech)
- TE Keith Towbridge (Louisville)
- G Zach Voytek (New Haven)
- S Jeremy Tyler (West Virginia)
- TE Jason Croom (Tennessee)
- P Austin Rehkow (Idaho)
- S B.T. Sanders (Nicholls State)
- WR Daikiel Shorts (West Virginia)
- DE Marquavius Lewis (South Carolina)
- CB Marcus Sayles (West Georgia)
- WR Brandon Reilly (Nebraska)
The signing of Johnson, a Buffalo product and graduate of nearby Sweet Home High school, should make fans happy. He could perhaps find inspiration in fellow UB running back Branden Oliver who went undrafted out of college but went on to make an impact in the NFL.
The Bills’ roster now stands at 92, so we should see at least a couple of cuts go down shortly.