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Khalif Barnes

NFL Workout Updates: 12/12/17

December 12th, 2017 at 9:36pm CST by Dallas Robinson

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

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

New York Jets

San Francisco 49ers

Cardinals Sign OT Khalif Barnes

December 12th, 2017 at 3:32pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cardinals have reinforced the offensive line in the wake of Jared Veldheer‘s season-ending injury. The team announced the signing of Khalif Barnes on Tuesday. Khalif Barnes (vertical)

Barnes, 35, was signed and released multiple times by the Saints over the course of the 2016 season, but he never appeared in a game for them. This offseason, he was among the team’s final cuts in early September. Now in Arizona, the 35-year-old will hope to see his first regular season action since January 3, 2016.

The former second-round pick is well past his prime, but he does offer experience at both tackle positions as well as guard. That versatility could come in handy as interior lineman Earl Watford is also on IR. Barnes has 117 career starts to his credit, but how, where, and when the Cardinals use him remains to be seen.

Saints Reach 53-Man Roster Limit

September 2nd, 2017 at 10:16pm CST by Zachary Links

Every team had to get under the 53-man limit by Saturday’s deadline, but the Saints were the last to publicly announce their cuts. Here’s the full rundown of their moves:

Waived:

Released:

IR:

The Saints re-signed Cadet this offseason only to put him on the trade block in June. They didn’t find any takers then and they apparently couldn’t find any now. The Jets, who pursued him in free agency, could have interest in signing him.

NFC Notes: Saints, Cards, Bears, Packers

July 25th, 2017 at 9:55pm CST by Dallas Robinson

With left tackle Terron Armstead is set to miss a portion of the 2017 season after undergoing labrum surgery, the Saints would prefer to place Ryan Ramczyk or Khalif Barnes on the blindside instead of shifting Andrus Peat from left guard, according to Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. Barnes is the far more experienced option, as the 35-year-old has appeared in 151 games (117) starts during 11-year NFL career. Ramczyk, on the other hand, was just selected with the final pick of the first round in the 2017 draft. Peat, meanwhile, played left tackle at Stanford and has split time between tackle and guard with New Orleans.

Here’s more from the NFC:

  • Although cornerback Brandon Flowers is scheduled to meet with the Cardinals on Wednesday, head coach Bruce Arians says the club isn’t necessarily looking at the veteran defender as a starting-caliber player, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. As such, Arizona’s interest in Flowers shouldn’t be viewed as a comment on Justin Bethel, who is currently projected to start opposite Patrick Peterson. The Cardinals recently lost two backup defensive backs — Jumal Rolle and Elie Bouka — to minor injuries, so a Flowers addition would be a solid depth addition as the team heads to training camp.
  • Bears defensive lineman Jaye Howard has hired David Canter as his new representation, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Howard signed a one-year deal worth the veteran’s minimum earlier this offseason, but the pact could be worth as much as $4MM through incentives. Given that he’s still relatively young (28) and has been productive in the past, Howard could be in line for a lengthier contract next spring if he plays well in 2017.
  • Entering his third season as the Bears‘ general manager, Ryan Pace is building the Chicago roster in the mold of the Saints, the club with which Pace spent most of his career prior to heading to the Windy City, as Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Pace and the rest of the Chicago front office is clearly hoping No. 2 overall selection Mitch Trubisky turns into the next Drew Brees, but other points of comparison are apt, as well. Second-round tight end Adam Shaheen could have the game-breaking ability of a Jimmy Graham, while fourth-round running back Tarik Cohen may prove to be a passing game weapon like Darren Sproles.
  • The Packers announced a series of personnel changes on Tuesday, with the most notable being college scout John Wojciechowski‘s promotion to director of pro personnel. Wojciechowski, who has also worked for the Cowboys, Jaguars, and Steelers, has been with Green Bay since 2012. The rest of the Packers’ front office changes, all of which include promotions or hirings in the scouting department, can be found at the link.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/31/17

May 31st, 2017 at 5:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Saints have re-signed offensive lineman Khalif Barnes, according to Herbie Teope of the Times-Picayune (Twitter link). Barnes had just been released yesterday, but was fully expected to be brought back into the fold quickly, as he was cut simply to accommodate the one-day contract of retiring wideout Lance Moore. Of course, the 35-year-old Barnes is no stranger to being yanked on and off the New Orleans roster, as the Saints signed him four separate times in 2016. Despite that lengthy transactional history, Barnes never appeared in a game for New Orleans last year.
  • The Panthers have signed tight end Wyatt Houston and waived fellow tight end Desean Smith with an injury settlement, the club announced today. Houston, a 2017 undrafted rookie free agent, originally signed with the Chiefs earlier this year, but was soon waived after the club’s rookie camp. In his final season at Utah State, Houston managed 36 receptions for 331 yards and two touchdowns. Smith, meanwhile, had just signed with Carolina two weeks ago. Like Houston, Smith is a 2017 UDFA, but the LSU product is now back on the free agent market after agreeing to a settlement with the Panthers.
  • The Buccaneers announced that they’ve waived defensive end Deondre Barnett and linebacker Paul Magliore in order to make room for defensive ends Tavaris Barnes and Sterling Bailey, each of whom’s signing was reported on Tuesday. Both Barnett (UCF) and Magliore (Appalachian State) were undrafted free agents whom recently signed with Tampa Bay.

Saints Release OL Khalif Barnes

May 30th, 2017 at 4:59pm CST by Ben Levine

Khalif Barnes joined the Saints less than three weeks ago, but his tenure with the team has already come to an end. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the organization has released the offensive lineman. Nick Underhill of The Advocate notes (on Twitter) that the move was made to accommodate the one-day contract of Lance Moore, who subsequently retired with the organization. Underhill expects Barnes to re-sign with the team.

Khalif Barnes (vertical)The Saints have clearly been enamored with Barnes for some time, as the organization signed the veteran four separate times during the 2016 campaign. However, the 35-year-old didn’t up making a single appearance last season. He ended up inking another contract with the Saints earlier this month, but the lineman didn’t even make it through OTAs this time around.

A team seeking leadership and versatility could certainly use Barnes. The 12-year veteran has more than 151 career games under his belt, including 117 career starts. His ability to play both offensive tackle and offensive guard will presumably make him ideal for a reserve role.

Barnes was competing with several lineman for backup offensive line reps. Behind the five starters, the Saints are currently rostering Zach Strief, Senio Kelemete, Landon Turner, and Jack Allen.

Saints To Sign Clay Harbor, Khalif Barnes

May 14th, 2017 at 4:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints are expected to sign tight end Clay Harbor and offensive lineman Khalif Barnes on Monday, according to Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter link). Both Barnes and Harbor worked out for New Orleans during a weekend minicamp session.Clay Harbor (vertical)

Harbor, 29, spent most of the 2016 campaign with the Lions after being released by the Patriots in early October. In 15 total games last season, Harbor managed only three total targets, so he’s not a offensive threat. But Harbor would give the Saints another option as a blocking tight end, and can also chip in on special teams. At present, New Orleans’ tight end depth chart is comprised of Coby Fleener, Josh Hill, and Michael Hoomanawanui.

Barnes, notably, was signed four separate times by the Saints in 2016, but never actually appeared in a game for the club. The 35-year-old Barnes offers two attributes in spades — experience and versatility. In 11 seasons, Barnes has appeared in more than 150 games (117 starts) with the Jaguars and Raiders. Moreover, Barnes is able to play both inside and out, so he could act as a backup at up to four offensive line spots.

Khalif Barnes, Steve Williams Earn Tryouts

May 13th, 2017 at 8:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Offensive lineman Khalif Barnes and cornerback Steve Williams have landed tryouts with the Saints and Cardinals, respectively, according to Nick Underhill of the Advocate and Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (Twitter links).
Khalif Barnes (vertical)

Barnes, notably, was signed four separate times by the Saints in 2016, but never actually appeared in a game for the club. The 35-year-old Barnes offers two attributes in spades — experience and versatility. In 11 seasons, Barnes has appeared in more than 150 games (117 starts) with the Jaguars and Raiders. Moreover, Barnes is able to play both inside and out, so he could act as a backup at up to four offensive line spots.

Williams, 26, spent time with both the Chargers and Rams in 2016, appearing in six games (two starts) between the two clubs. Waived by the Rams in December, Williams worked out for the Ravens and 49ers but had yet to land a contract. While the Cardinals are still searching for a cornerback to play opposite Patrick Peterson, Williams would be relegated to special teams duty if signed.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/5/16

November 5th, 2016 at 4:32pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Saints have again made the decision to cut Khalif Barnes, Christopher Dabe of NOLA.com tweets. New Orleans promoted linebacker Chris McCain from its practice squad as well, per Dabe (on Twitter). The moves came as the Saints activated Sheldon Rankins and relocated James Laurinaitis to IR. Barnes has vacillated between free agency and the Saints throughout the season but has yet to play in a game this year. Given the pattern that’s formed this season, the 34-year-old tackle could return to the team at some point.
  • After moving Jordan Cameron to IR, the Dolphins are promoting tight end Thomas Duarte from their practice squad, James Walker of ESPN.com tweets. Miami’s also opted to activate linebacker Zach Vigil. A wideout/tight end hybrid at UCLA, Duarte came to the Dolphins as a seventh-round pick. He’s spent the season on the practice squad. Vigil spent the first half of the season on the NFI list. He made 11 tackles as a rookie last season, one in which he played in all 16 Fins games and made two starts.
  • On a day when another major injury affects the Chargers‘ depth chart, they also made a lower-profile move, announcing the signing of inside linebacker Deon King from their practice squad. They in turn waived tackle Tyreek Burwell, who played in three games this season and nine for the 2015 Bolts. King is a UDFA from Norfolk State who won the Buck Buchanan award given to Division I-FCS’ top defender. The Bolts now have this award’s past two recipients in their linebacking corps, with Kyle Emanuel having won it in 2014.
  • The Jets claimed tight end Eric Tomlinson off the Texans’ practice squad and waived linebacker Victor Ochi, Seth Walder of the New York Daily News reports (via Twitter). Ochi played in two games this season and started one for Gang Green. A UDFA, Tomlinson has yet to play in an NFL game. New York ruled out Kellen Davis for Week 9 and now have four tight ends on their roster, pointing to Davis’ injury being potentially significant, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes.

Saints To Sign OL Khalif Barnes

October 26th, 2016 at 9:47am CST by Zachary Links

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before. The Saints are signing Khalif Barnes to the roster, as Herbie Teope of The Times-Picayune tweets. Khalif Barnes (vertical)

Today’s deal marks the fourth time that New Orleans has signed Barnes to the roster since Aug. 30. Barnes’ most recent stint on the 53-man roster ended about two weeks ago when the Saints bumped him for Joe Callahan. He’s back now, but if recent history is any indication, he might not be around for long. For his career, the 34-year-old has 151 appearances and 117 starts to his name, but he hasn’t taken the field yet this season.

The Saints freed up a spot for Barnes on Tuesday when they dropped defensive end Chris McCain.

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