Clive Walford

NFL Workout Updates: 10/17/18

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots

New York Giants

Washington Redskins

Lions Work Out TE Clive Walford

The Lions worked out tight end Clive Walford, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Walford has been hitting the workout circuit hard as of late and is coming off of recent auditions with the Seahawks and Bengals. Rapoport expects him to sign somewhere soon, and a deal could come together in Detroit. 

The Lions currently have two newcomers leading their TE group in Luke Willson and Levine Toilolo. Last year’s fourth-round pick, Michael Roberts, is positioned as the team’s third TE, but he’s missed the club’s last three games due to a knee injury. The Lions’ Week 6 bye will give him a chance to rest up, though his status for Week 7 against the Dolphins remains murky.

Walford, a third-round pick of the Raiders in 2015, missed the Jets’ final cut in the offseason. His best season came in 2016 when he hauled in 33 catches for 359 yards and three scores. Last year, he had just nine catches for 80 yards with Oakland.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/9/18

Here’s the latest from the workout circuit, courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Bengals Work Out TE Clive Walford

The Bengals worked out free agent tight end Clive Walford, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). If signed, Walford could help to fill the void following Tyler Eifert‘s season-ending injury

The Raiders made Walford an early third round pick in 2015, but he never lived up to his potential at the pro level. He received a lot of hype his first couple training camps, and was expected at various points to start at tight end for the Raiders, but ended up lasting just three years in Oakland.

The Raiders cut him back in March, and he was quickly scooped up by the Jets, who claimed him off waivers. Walford missed the Jets’ final cut, and the fact that Walford couldn’t make the Jets despite the team having very few proven options at tight end wasn’t a great look. Since then, he has auditioned for the Seahawks, Chiefs, and Jaguars, but has yet to find an NFL home for the 2018 season.

Through three seasons in Oakland, Walford amassed 768 yards and six touchdowns on 70 catches.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/8/18

Here’s the latest from the workout circuit, courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer unless otherwise noted:

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

West Rumors: Chiefs, Hawks, Rams, Tryouts

With Patrick Mahomes being arguably the NFL MVP through two weeks, the Chiefs are exiting a tough two-game stretch — road assignments against the Chargers and Steelers — at 2-0. They’ve done this without their defensive centerpiece. Eric Berry‘s been bothered by a nagging heel injury and hasn’t practice since early August. However, the three-time All-Pro safety is improving in his recovery and may be ready to practice this week, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The cancer survivor was already trying to surmount his second severe NFL injury, having also missed most of the 2011 season prior to tearing his Achilles’ tendon in Week 1 of last year, and is important for a Chiefs defense that’s struggled in shootout wins.

Here’s the latest out of the Wests entering the Seahawks-Bears Monday tilt.

  • Mychal Kendricks will play plenty in his Seahawks debut Monday night, John Schneider said (Twitter link via Stacy Jo Rost of ESPN 710). Austin Calitro will be Seattle’s middle linebacker in place of the injured Bobby Wagner, Schneider said, and Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times expects Kendricks to primarily play on the weak side (Twitter link). He’s working with the starters in warmups, per Condotta (on Twitter). Kendricks is facing an NFL suspension for his insider trading charge but is appealing and is thus allowed to play tonight.
  • Rams practice squad center Aaron Neary‘s run into trouble. He was arrested Sunday for suspicion of DUI and hit and run charges, Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com reports. Neary’s blood-alcohol level of .17 was more than twice the legal limit, and Thiry adds he was booked into the Ventura County Jail. Neary came to the Rams recently, after being waived by the Browns to create roster space for Anthony Zettel. He spent most of last season on the Rams’ practice squad, playing in one 2017 game, but may have trouble keeping that spot.
  • Clive Walford ventured to Kansas City for a Chiefs workout on Monday, Rapoport tweets. The former Raiders tight end was a Jets cut this summer. After being a regular in Oakland’s passing game in 2015-16, the one-time third-round pick only caught nine passes for 80 yards last season.
  • The Raiders‘ affinity for 30-somethings this offseason should be well known, and Jon Gruden said the team would have signed Clinton McDonald in March had a medical issue not intervened, per Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (on Twitter). McDonald signed with the Broncos, but they reworked his contract because of an injury. He’s now with the Raiders, having made his Raider debut in Denver.
  • Joe Callahan was among a contingent that worked out for the Raiders on Monday, Gehlken tweets. The now-well-traveled backup quarterback was most recently with the Eagles during the preseason. Quarterback Kyle Allen, tight end Billy Brown, running back Orleans Darkwa, wide receivers Roger Lewis and Hunter Sharp also auditioned for the Silver and Black, per NFL reporter Howard Balzer (on Twitter). The Colts, Jets, Bills, Patriots (twice) and Redskins have brought in Darkwa for workouts this year.
  • Former Broncos backup inside linebacker Zaire Anderson will work out for the Cardinals on Tuesday, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. Anderson spent three years with the Broncos — 2015-17, being on Denver’s practice squad during its Super Bowl season — before being a post-preseason cut. Also working out for the Cardinals: linebacker Nigel Harris, per Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (on Twitter).

NFL Workout Updates: 9/10/18

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans 

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Jets Cut Thomas Rawls, Charcandick West

The Jets have become the latest team to move to 53 players, and did so by making the following transactions:

Waived:

Released:

Placed on suspended list:

Placed on PUP:

Rawls, 25, first entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015 with the Seahawks and broke out immediately when Marshawn Lynch was sidelined with an abdomen injury. In his very first start for Seattle, Rawls amassed 104 yards off of 16 carries and later turned in a 209-yard game. Things trailed off after that, however. He missed significant time in 2016 with a fractured fibula and became an afterthought in 2017. Rawls initially seemed to have a good chance at making the Jets’ roster in 2018, but he was unable to find a place behind top RBs Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell.

West was also fighting for a supporting RB job, and his limited highlight reel with the Chiefs suggested that he had a puncher’s chance to make the roster. West missed most of KC’s camp this year with a concussion and hooked on with the Jets a little over one week ago. Crowell also missed time with a concussion and reserve Elijah McGuire was dealing with a broken foot, but West still couldn’t make enough of an impression on coaches in such a short period of time.

Jets Cut TE Clive Walford

The Jets have cut tight end Clive Walford, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It was reported yesterday that the team was shopping Walford, but New York apparently found no takers.

Walford was taken in the early third round back in 2015 by the Raiders, but never lived up to his potential. He received a lot of hype his first couple training camps, and was expected at various points to start at tight end for the Raiders, but ended up lasting just three years in Oakland.

The Raiders cut him back in March, and he was quickly scooped up by the Jets, who claimed him off waivers. The fact that Walford couldn’t make the Jets despite the team having very few proven options at tight end isn’t a good sign for his future.

Through three seasons in Oakland, Walford racked up 768 yards and six touchdowns on 70 catches. Due to the lack of tight end depth around the league and his draft status, it shouldn’t take too long for the former Miami Hurricane to resurface somewhere else.

Dolphins Put In Claim For TE Clive Walford

The Jets were awarded former Raiders tight end Clive Walford off waivers on Monday, but another AFC East club was also interested. The Dolphins put in a waiver claim for Walford, and were in fact the only other club to have done so, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Offseason waivers claims are awarded in the same order as the NFL draft, so the Jets were able to use their higher priority in order to land Walford. Miami is clearly on the lookout for a new tight end after cutting ties with veteran Julius Thomas earlier this year, and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald recently reported the Dolphins are prepared to explore the trade market at the position. At present, Miami’s tight end depth chart is headlined by A.J. Derby, MarQueis Gray, and Thomas Duarte.

Walford would have given the Dolphins a youthful option that also has experience, as the former third-round pick is still only 26 years old but has 44 games under his belt. Although he averaged 30 receptions, 344 yards, and three touchdowns during his first two years in Oakland, Walford cratered with only nine catches and 80 yards a season ago.