NFL Workout Updates: 11/27/17
Here are today’s NFL workouts, with all credit going to Adam Caplan of Sirius XM unless otherwise noted.
Detroit Lions
New England Patriots
- DT Marcus Hardison (Mike Reiss of ESPN.com) (Twitter link)
New York Giants
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WR’s Corey Brown, Jeremy Ross; DT Khyri Thornton; CB Darryl Morris; P Jeff Locke (Twitter link)
Philadelphia Eagles
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QB Matt Simms; TE’s Gabe Holmes, Jevoni Robinson (Twitter link)
Giants Work Out Several WRs
In case you haven’t heard, the Giants are on the lookout for wide receiver help. On Wednesday, the Giants worked out a host of potential replacements, including Philly Brown, Demarcus Ayers, Kalif Raymond, Jeremy Ross, and Canaan Severin. 
[RELATED: Giants Suspend CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie]
Of course, no one in the group offers the same name value as injured stars Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall. But, here in mid-October, options are limited. Brown, a former standout at Ohio State, may offer the most potential of anyone in the group. He had 31 catches for 447 yards and four touchdowns in 2015 for the Panthers, though his yards-per-catch average dipped sharply in 2016.
If Sterling Shepard cannot go in Week 6, the Giants will have only Roger Lewis, Travis Rudolph, Tavarres King, and Ed Eagan at wide receiver.
Workout Notes: Patriots, Jets, Bills
The Patriots auditioned some players of note this week, including linebacker Akeem Ayers, quarterback Thad Lewis, and wide receiver Jeremy Ross (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPN.com).
Ayers has some history with New England after playing on their 2014 Super Bowl championship team. Last year, Ayers appeared in all 16 games for Indianapolis and recorded two sacks.
Linebackers Nicholas Grigsby and Antwione Williams also showed their stuff for the Pats.
Here’s a look at Wednesday’s other workouts from around the NFL:
- The Jets worked out former Maryland cornerback Alvin Hill, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
- Canadian defensive tackle Stefan Charles worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, John Kryk of The Toronto Sun tweets.
- The Cardinals worked out wide receivers Donteea Dye, Cobi Hamilton, and Rashad Ross, as Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com tweets.
- The Bills auditioned defensive backs Ironhead Gallon, Lee Hightower, Rickey Jefferson, Marcus McWilson, Orion Stewart, and Jack Tocho, linebackers Kenneth Olugbode, defensive tackle Marcus Hardison, running back Connor Harris, and tackle De’Ondre Wesley, according to Balzer (via Twitter links).
- The Buccaneers auditioned quarterback Trevor Knight, wide receivers C.J. Board and Jake Lampman, and tackles Justin Murray and Avery Young, Balzer tweets.
- The Packers took a look at running back Jacob Huesman, Balzer tweets.
- The Colts auditioned linebacker Travis Feeney and defensive backs Jordan Moore, Taurean Nixon, Ezra Robinson, and Deron Washington, Balzer tweets.
- The Giants auditioned defensive backs B.W. Webb Brandon Dixon, and Jeremiah McKinnon, Balzer tweets.
Cardinals Down To 53
The Cardinals announced their full slate of cuts to get to 53:
- WR Carlton Agudosi
- DT Peli Anau
- LB Alex Bazzie
- LB Cap Capi
- CB Jarrell Carter
- TE Gerald Christian
- S Ironhead Gallon
- LB Zaviar Gooden
- CB Gump Hayes
- WR Krishawn Hogan
- WR Chris Hubert
- LB Jarvis Jones (injury settlement)
- G Dorian Johnson
- G Kaleb Johnson
- LB Tre’Von Johnson (injury settlement)
- QB Trevor Knight
- LB Ryan Langford
- P Richie Leone
- CB Ryan Lewis
- T Jonathan McLaughlin
- S Harlan Miller
- DT David Moala
- C Daniel Munyer
- T Givens Price
- WR Jeremy Ross
- TE Ricky Seals-Jones
- CB Sojourn Shelton
- DT Ed Stinson (waived/injured)
- RB James Summers
- DT Pasoni Tasini
- G Cole Toner
- TE Hakeem Valles
- LB Terence Waugh
- LB Scooby Wright
Wright was a standout at the University of Arizona. As a sophomore for the Wildcats, Wright was an absolute monster as he tallied 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and six forced fumbles. Unfortunately, he was slowed by injuries in 2015 and he wound up as a seventh-round pick of the Browns. The Cardinals were happy to scoop him up in December, but he has been pushed out in favor of veteran Josh Bynes and others.
Also of note – fourth-round guard Dorian Johnson has been cut. Johnson struggled in camp and the Cardinals were not willing to use a roster spot on him. I would speculate that he could be a taxi squad candidate.
Cardinals Re-Sign Jeremy Ross
The Cardinals are re-signing kick returner Jeremy Ross to a one-year deal, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Ross appeared in two games for the Cardinals after joining the team late in the 2016 season. 
Ross was initially brought aboard for depth after the release of Michael Floyd. After returning eleven kicks for 224 yards, the Cardinals want to see more from him this offseason. The soon-to-be 29-year-old has bounced around quite a bit in the professional ranks, so he’s probably hoping to stick with Arizona for a while. Ross has previously appeared in games for the Packers, Lions, Raiders, Ravens, and Jets.
In other Cardinals news, linebacker Kevin Minter says he’d like to return to the team but is also intrigued by the idea of reuniting with Todd Bowles on the Jets. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are reportedly not interested in signing Jay Cutler as Carson Palmer‘s backup.
Cardinals Release WR Michael Floyd
Early Monday morning, Michael Floyd was arrested on DUI charges. Less than 72 hours later, he’s out of work. The Cardinals announced that they have released the wide receiver. 
At this stage of the offseason, all released players are subject to waivers. Floyd was considered a promising talent in the not-too-distant past and it stands to reason that he could be claimed. He is slated to hit the open market after the season, so there could be several teams interested in bringing him in for a low-risk three-game audition.
The Cardinals are on the hook for Floyd’s Week 15 salary, so any team claiming him will be responsible for just two weeks of his pay. Floyd gets $430/K per week on his $7.32MM salary, so claiming him would cost $861K.
So far this year, Floyd has 33 catches for 446 yards and four touchdowns. Once regarded as the heir apparent to Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona, Floyd has slipped down the depth chart in the last couple of years.
In an interview yesterday, coach Bruce Arians indicated that he wanted to sternly punish Floyd but he could not go as far as he wanted to because of restrictions in the collective bargaining agreement. It now seems like the Cardinals have figured out their workaround.
In related moves, the Cards have signed wide receiver Jeremy Ross, and elevated offensive lineman Givens Price from the practice squad.
Jets Waive RB C.J. Spiller
The Jets announced that they have waived running back C.J. Spiller and wide receiver Jeremy Ross. Spiller was handed a pink slip after recording two carries for five yards last night. He is now seeking his fourth team this year. 
Spiller was signed on November 1st, moments after the Jets claimed Knile Davis off waivers from the Packers. To sign Spiller, the Jets bounced Davis, making his stay in New York just three hours long. Spiller only got a month-and-change, but that’s a reminder things could have been worse for him.
The 29-year-old started the campaign with the Saints and he was quickly signed by the Seahawks following his release by New Orleans. The former first-rounder only had three rushes for nine yards during his two-game tenure in Seattle, and he added another five catches for 43 yards and a touchdown. Not long ago, Spiller was viewed as a starting-caliber back. Now, it’s not clear if he has a place in the NFL.
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/16
Today’s minor NFL signings, cuts, and other moves..
- The Bengals announced that they have formally cleared defensive tackle Brandon Thompson – previously on the PUP list – to return to practice. They now have an open spot on the roster. Thompson has spent four-plus seasons in Cincinnati, appearing in 39 games.
- The Falcons announced the signing of punter Matt Wile to the 53-man roster. The deal could be a sign that Matt Bosher‘s hamstring will cause him to miss games. Before coming to Atlanta, Wile had contracts with Carolina and Dallas. He was a kicker at Michigan and a hopeful NFL kicker, but he’ll be punting for the Falcons.
- The Jets signed wide receiver Jeremy Ross and waived linebacker Taiwan Jones. This marks the third time that the Jets have signed Ross in 2016. If the speedy wideout takes over return duties, the Jets could look to utilize C.J. Spiller in the running game.
- The Lions announced that they have waived wide receiver Corey Fuller. The 2013 sixth-round pick had 18 catches for 288 yards over two-plus seasons in Detroit.
- The Chargers have promoted cornerback Trovon Reed from the practice squad, the team announced. The former Auburn standout has yet to make an NFL appearance. The defensive back will be taking the roster spot of defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, who was placed on the injured reserve today.
- The 49ers have promoted safety Vinnie Sunseri from the practice squad, reports Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (via Twitter). The former Alabama star last played in the NFL with the Saints in 2014. The 25-year-old will be taking the roster spot previously held by Eric Reid, who was placed on the injured reserve today.
Zach Links contributed to this report.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/1/16
Tuesday is workout day in the NFL, and today was no different. Due to the sheer volume of today’s auditions, we’ll split up the reports by conference:
AFC
- The Dolphins worked out players on both sides of the ball. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team auditioned running back Jonas Gray and defensive end Martin Ifedi.
- Besides signing Bishop Sankey, the Chiefs also worked out running backs Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Caplan tweets that the team also worked out defensive end Rakim Cox and wideout Marcus Johnson.
- The Colts worked out a trio of defenders today, according to Caplan (via Twitter): defensive tackle Jordan Hill, inside linebacker Nate Irving, and linebacker Danny Lansanah.
- Three offensive tackles worked out for the Jets, according to Caplan (on Twitter): Rob Crisp, Pierce Burton, and Jesse Davis.
- The Titans auditioned three wideouts and two guards, according to Caplan (on Twitter). Receivers Jeremy Ross, Dres Anderson, and Jonathan Krause were in for workouts, as were offensive guards Dallas Thomas and Josh LeRibeus.
NFC
- The Bears worked out a pair of defensive backs, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter): Rashaad Reynolds and Ryan White. The team also worked out former Patriots offensive lineman Bryan Stork, as well as running back Daniel Davie.
- Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the Lions hosted a number of players this afternoon: tight end Matthew Mulligan, linebackers Ben Jacobs and Trevor Bates, and cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Jeremiah McKinnon.
- Three cornerbacks worked out for the Packers, according to Caplan (on Twitter): Duke Thomas, Cleveland Wallace, and Larry Scott.
- Before adding Vinnie Sunseri to the practice squad, the 49ers took a look at former Saints defensive back Marcus Ball (via Nick Underhill on Twitter). Caplan adds that the team also auditioned defensive tackle Lars Koht and defensive end Mike Rose.
- The Seahawks worked out cornerback Pierre Desir, reports Caplan (via Twitter).
NFC Notes: Dak, Vikes, Panthers, Packers
As expected, the Cowboys are starting quarterback Dak Prescott after the team’s bye week against the Eagles, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Meanwhile, Tony Romo may not be ready to be considered for the following week against the Browns either, Rapoport hears.
More from the NFC:
- It’s possible Vikings defensive coordinator George Edwards’ DWI arrest in May will negatively affect his chances of eventually becoming a head coach, as Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press details (Twitter link). Edwards was among six assistants the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which promotes minority hiring in the NFL, recommended last offseason for a head coaching job. Whether the Fritz Pollard Alliance endorses Edwards again will come down to opinions from Vikings general manager Rick Spielman and head coach Mike Zimmer, FPA chairman John Wooten told Tomasson. “I want to talk to Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer and see what their thoughts are, and whether they still support him in moving up the line,” he said. In a positive development for Edwards, Zimmer stuck by the 49-year-old assistant Wednesday in explaining his role with the 5-0 team. “He does a whole ton of things for me that I don’t have to do,” said Zimmer. “We talk about things all of the time as far as game plans. He goes through a lot of the research tape that I really don’t have time to do and we talk about of different things. But George is a very smart guy. He’s very diligent about his work. He cares about making sure his side of the ball performs very well.”
- The Panthers worked out 14 free agents Wednesday, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was among those to report. Tight ends Alex Bayer, Kivon Cartwright, Jim Dray and Eric Wallace; defensive backs Tay Glover-Wright, Demetrius McCray, Jeremiah McKinnon and Shaun Prater; running back Darrel Young; quarterbacks Dylan Thompson and Sean Renfree; receivers Jeremy Ross and T.J. Graham; and defensive end Malliciah Goodman each tried to impress Carolina brass. The most experienced members of the group are Dray (91 appearances, 37 starts), Young (90, 36), Graham (47, 17), McCray (46, 16) and Goodman (34, 11).
- The Packers have to consider moving on from Sam Shields next year, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com opines. Shields, a talented cornerback, recently suffered his second concussion in nine months and his fourth in the last six seasons. The soon-to-be 29-year-old plans to continue playing football, but it’s fair to wonder if he can return to his old form and stay on the field. By cutting Shields, the Packers could recoup some of the four-year, $39MM deal they gave him in 2014.