NFL Suspends Cameron Clear, J.J. Worton
The NFL has suspended a pair of free agents, tight end Cameron Clear and wide receiver J.J. Worton, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Tom Pelissero of USA Today. The league banned Clear for 10 games and Worton for six.
The reason for Clear’s suspension is unknown, but it’s not the first time the league has issued him a ban. Previously, it hit Clear with a four-game suspension in June. Clear went undrafted out of Texas A&M last year and then signed with the Steelers, who waived him early in the season as a result of injury issues. The 6-foot-5, 273-pounder didn’t hook on elsewhere until February, when Indianapolis signed him to a futures contract. The Colts ended up waiving Clear in May, and he hasn’t had a reported workout with any team since.
Worton, then with the Patriots, was arrested in January and charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 and over and one count of assault and battery. The Patriots eventually cut Worton, who was found guilty on the three charges in April and is now on probation through next March. Worton signed with the Rams in May, but they cut him a month later.
Extra Points: Clear, Jones, Hughes, Cowboys
A teammate of Johnny Manziel‘s at Texas A&M, tight end Cameron Clear joined the embattled quarterback among those suspended on Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Like Manziel, Clear is also a free agent suspended for four games. The Colts signed him to a reserve/futures contract after the 2015 season but cut him in May.
A 6-foot-5 tight end who would be a second-year player if given another chance after this suspension, Clear spent time with the Steelers last season but did not see any game action.
Sheldon Richardson and Rolando McClain were also suspended on a news-dump Thursday before the July 4 weekend, with Demarcus Lawrence‘s four-game ban being upheld as well.
Here’s the latest from around the league.
- Former Chargers, 49ers and Cowboys special teams contributor C.J. Spillman was convicted of sexual assault Thursday, Claire Z. Cardona of the Dallas Morning News reports. The 30-year-old spent most of his six-year career with the 49ers but last played as a Cowboys reserve defensive back in 2014. The incident that prompted the conviction, which carries a two- to 20-year prison sentence, occurred Sept. 20, 2014. Spillman played for the Cowboys for the rest of that season.
- McClain’s suspensions in Dallas now total 14 games after the middle linebacker began the 2015 season with a four-game ban. Todd Archer of ESPN.com advocates the Cowboys cut ties with him despite re-signing the soon-to-be 27-year-old this offseason. McClain is signed to a one-year, $3.375MM deal as a stopgap until Jaylon Smith proves ready. The latter does not look like he’ll be ready to play this season, and the Cowboys now have three of their starting front seven — McClain, Lawrence and Randy Gregory — set to begin 2016 suspended.
- After a potential felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor for resisting arrest, Seahawks reserve quarterback Trevone Boykin received probation on Thursday, Austin Knoblauch of NFL.com reports. The rookie UDFA incurred this charge after a Dec. 31, 2015 incident before TCU’s Alamo Bowl, a game for which Boykin did not dress.
- Datone Jones will shift to a stand-up, edge-defending position after he relocated there late last season, Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com reports. The Packers plan to play their 2013 first-round pick at outside linebacker in a 3-4 set and on the outside in passing-down sets, which he did beginning with a two-sack game against the Vikings last November. Given the team’s depth at each position, Jones’ role adjustment is interesting. As Roster resource shows, the Packers are more stocked on the edge than they are inside in their 3-4 set. Julius Peppers, Nick Perry and a recently relocated Clay Matthews reside at outside linebacker.
- The Bills will also look to move Jerry Hughes into more of a stand-up outside-linebacking role, Tyler Dunne of the Buffalo News reports. Hughes had his best seasons as a 4-3 end in 2013-14, when he notched 10 sacks in each slate en route to signing a five-year, $45MM contract.
Colts Cut Khaled Holmes, Three Others
The Colts have waived offensive lineman Khaled Holmes and three other players, the team announced today in a press release. Tight end Cameron Clear, long snapper Forrest Hill, and tackle Mitchell Van Dyk will join Holmes on the free agent market, assuming they clear waivers.
Holmes, 26, is the most notable player in the group, having been a fourth-round pick in 2013 out of USC. The interior lineman started nine games for the Colts since joining the team, including seven in 2015. However, he played primarily at center in Indianapolis, and the club’s decision to draft Ryan Kelly in the first round on Thursday made Holmes expendable.
The salary cap impact of today’s moves will be negligible for the Colts. All four players were on minimum salary contracts, and only Holmes had any dead money left on his deal. His release will clear his non-guaranteed $675K base salary from Indianapolis’ books, leaving about $105K in dead money on the cap.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Colts Sign Cameron Clear
The Colts announced that they have signed tight end Cameron Clear. Clear will give the Colts a bit of insurance as tight ends Coby Fleener and Dwayne Allen approach unrestricted free agency.
[RELATED: Colts Want To Re-Sign Adam Vinatieri]
Clear was in camp with the Steelers prior to the 2015 season before injuries led to him going on IR and, eventually, securing his release. The 6’5″ tight end is no stranger to the workout circuit, as his player page on Pro Football Rumors shows, but he has yet to see live action in the NFL. Needless to say, he will not solely serve as a replacement if Fleener and Allen sign elsewhere. However, he can be a low-risk reserve option with blocking ability for the Colts if one of the two players leave in free agency. The Colts also have backup tight ends Jack Doyle and Erik Swoope on the depth chart.
Allen made 16 catches in 13 games for the Colts this season. He hasn’t been able to match the production he put up as a rookie in 2011 in terms of receptions (45) and yardage (521), but he did amass a career-best eight touchdowns in 2014. Fleener, meanwhile, appeared in all 16 games, racking up 54 catches and 491 yards with three touchdowns. The 27-year-old (28 in September) tied Allen with a career-high 8 touchdowns in 2014.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Workout Notes: Steelers, Broncos, Bears
The Steelers, who have been leaning heavily on DeAngelo Williams since Le’Veon Bell went down for the year, worked out former Rams and Jets running back Daryl Richardson, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). It doesn’t appear Pittsburgh will sign Richardson at this point, but it’s worth keeping an eye on the free agent market, considering Jordan Todman and Fitzgerald Toussaint – Williams’ current backups – have combined for just four carries this season.
Here are more workout notes from Wilson:
- The Broncos had a huge group of players in for tryouts this week, and Wilson (Twitter links) has the full list:
- FB Ray Agnew
- TE Brandon Barden
- DT Alex Bienemann
- TE Cameron Clear
- WR Jace Davis
- WR Antwan Goodley
- WR R.J. Harris
- C Alex Hill
- T Cameron Jefferson
- WR Jordan Leslie
- QB Seth Lobato
- WR Levi Norwood
- QB Bryn Renner
- T Jack Rummells
- WR Demetrius Wilson
- Tight end Rob Housler was part of the Bears‘ latest workout group, which also featured tight end Nick Kasa and wide receiver Marcus Lucas, according to Wilson (Twitter link). Chicago’s starting tight end, Martellus Bennett, is expected to return to action this weekend, so I wouldn’t expect the team to add another player at the position.
- The Cardinals auditioned linebackers Josh Francis, Quayshawn Nealy, Markus Pierce-Brewster, and Mike Reilly, along with cornerback Jalil Brown, tweets Wilson.
- In addition to working out offensive tackle Pierce Burton, who signed to the team’s practice squad, the Colts also took a look at defensive end Nordly Capi and defensive back Terrance Mitchell, says Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Raiders tried out safety Dewey McDonald, tweets Wilson. McDonald was signed by the Patriots last week, but only lasted two days on New England’s roster.
Workout Notes: Raiders, Colts, Packers
Today’s workouts from around the league:
- The Raiders worked out linebacker Emmanuel Acho, safety Stevie Brown, safety Chris Clemons, defensive back Chris Hackett, defensive end/outside linebacker Adrian Hubbard, and linebacker Colton Underwood, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
- The Colts worked out tight end Cameron Clear, cornerbacks Jeremy Harris and Corey White, and safety Chris Hackett last week, Wilson tweets.
- The Packers worked out wide receiver Ify Umodu, quarterback Matt Behrendt, cornerback Brandon McGee, wide receiver Denarius Moore, and wide receiver Larry Pinkard, Wilson tweets.
- The Bengals worked out defensive backs Brandon Ghee, Robert McClain, and Corey White, Wilson tweets.
- The Chiefs worked out linebackers Thomas Keiser and Andy Studebaker, Wilson tweets.
- The Lions worked out former Falcons linebacker Joplo Bartu, Wilson tweets.
- The Broncos worked out offensive lineman Isaiah Shelton last week, Wilson tweets.
- The Browns worked out safety Sean Baker and linebacker Colton Underwood last week, Wilson tweets.
- The Jets auditioned linebacker Ryan Mueller last week, Wilson tweets.
- Washington worked out defensive back Al Louis-Jean, Wilson tweets.
- The Jaguars worked out defensive back Brandon McGee, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
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.
West Notes: Armstrong, Floyd, Welker
Police are looking into whether Raiders linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong illegally taunted a police dog before a game against the Steelers on Sunday, as an Associated Press report outlines. Chief Deputy Kevin Kraus says a player lifted his shirt, beat his chest and barked at the K-9 before telling a deputy to release the dog. Needless to say, the deputy did not follow Armstrong’s orders.
Taunting a police dog is a third-degree felony in Pennsylvania, so the consequences could potentially be severe for the linebacker. It’s not a concern for Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio though, who downplayed the story during an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (link via FOX Sports).
“I’ve caught wind of this story. I’m going to put it in the ‘silly’ category,” Del Rio said. “I think once the facts come to light I don’t think there’s going to be much of an issue. I wouldn’t make too much of it.”
Here’s more from around the NFL’s West divisions:
- Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd suffered a torn labrum on Monday night, a source tells Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (Twitter link). According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Floyd plans to rehab the injury and “see how it goes,” with the hopes of playing through it. The 34-year-old has previously stated that 2015 will be his final season in the NFL, so it would be an unfortunate end if he had to shut it down early.
- In his latest column for Bleacher Report, Mike Freeman examines the Rams‘ decision to sign Wes Welker, and – more importantly – Welker’s decision to continue his NFL career despite possible health risks. Freeman hears from a source that Welker has “taken great care of his finances,” and is returning to action because he doesn’t want to stop playing yet, not because he needs the money.
- Linebacker Nico Johnson, who signed yesterday with the Giants’ practice squad, also had a workout this week with the Rams, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link).
- Wilson also passes along the names of several players who auditioned for the Seahawks this week, including tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Jake Heaps, defensive lineman Glenn Foster, safety Jonathan Dowling, and cornerback Keon Lyn (Twitter link).
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Chargers
The latest workouts from around the NFL:
- The Titans worked out quarterback Christian Ponder, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider (Twitter links). The team also auditioned linebacker Yannik Cudjoe Virgil plus tight ends Michael Egnew, Kevin Greene, Connor Hamlett, and Ryan Taylor.
- The Patriots worked out tight end Cameron Clear, kicker Garrett Hartley, punter Will Johnson, punter Cody Mandell, long snapper Tyler Ott, cornerback Garry Peters, kicker Matt Wile, and long snapper Christian Yount, Wilson tweets.
- The Texans worked out running back Cyrus Gray, center Josh Allen, center Dalton Freeman, center Eric Kush, guard Jacques McClendon, and center Daniel Munyer, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- The Chargers are working out former Eastern Washington offensive tackle Jake Rodgers today, according to a source who spoke with Wilson (on Twitter).
- Slot wide receiver Damaris Johnson is working out for the Jets today, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) adds Jarrett Boykin, Aldrick Robinson, and Greg Salas to that list. The Jets also worked out tight end David Ausberry, a source tells ESPNNewYork.com’s Rich Cimini (on Twitter).
- The Bills worked out running back Mike Gillislee and defensive backs Jocquel Skinner and Robert Steeples, Wilson tweets.
- The 49ers also worked out Gillislee, Wilson tweets.
- The 49ers worked out former Texans linebacker Lynden Trail and ex-Chargers corner Chris Davis, Wilson tweets. Davis, 24, signed with the Bolts in 2014 as a UDFA out of Auburn. The Chargers cut Davis on September 1st.
- The Colts worked out offensive guards Ben Heenan and Donald Thomas on Saturday, Wilson tweets. Indianapolis also brought in linebacker Josh Martin for a visit, Wilson adds.
- Tight ends James Casey and Adrien Robinson worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, sources tell Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (via Twitter).
- The Ravens worked out wide receivers Joe Morgan and Chuck Jacobs along with quarterback Chase Rettig, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com tweets.
Workout Notes: Patriots, Texans, Bucs, Eagles
Earlier today we learned that the Patriots worked out wide receiver Hakeem Nicks. As it turns out, they also auditioned two other players: running back Isaiah Pead and tight end Nick Kasa (via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle on Twitter).
Pead, 26 in December, was once expected to become a leading rusher for the Rams as the heir apparent to Steven Jackson. Things never worked out that way for the 2012 second-round pick, but he did spent three years and change with the club, playing in 27 games with one start. This year, Pead appeared in just two games and notched two carries for three yards before he was released.
Here’s a rundown of today’s workouts and auditions from around the NFL..
- The Texans gave former Notre Dame wide receiver DaVaris Daniels a tryout, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (on Twitter).
- Washington worked out defensive backs Aaron Hester and Ri’Shard Anderson, Wilson tweets.
- The Buccaneers tried out cornerbacks Dax Swanson, Jemea Thomas, and Robert Steeples, punters Spencer Roth and Michael Palardy, cornerback Keon Lyn, and kicker/punter Jordan Gay, Wilson tweets.
- The Eagles tried out tight end Cameron Clear, center Brian Folkerts, tight end Richard Gordon, and outside linebacker Gerald Rivers, Wilson tweets.
- The Texans tried out wide receivers Josh Lenz, DaVaris Daniels and Corey Washington, Wilson tweets. Daniels recently worked out for the Bears but was not signed.