HEADLINES

Lucky Whitehead

AFC Notes: Ravens, Steelers, Jets, Bills

August 16th, 2017 at 7:34pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent running back Ryan Mathews may be a fit for the Ravens, but signing him would require the club to overlook his ball security issues, observes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Mathews has fumbled a league-high 20 times since 2010, notes Hensley, who adds that Ravens head coach John Harbaugh cut the playing time of Ray Rice, Lorenzo Taliaferro and Javorius Allen in recent years after each had problems in that department. “You play the best players, and at running back, the best players don’t fumble,” Harbaugh said in 2015. While Mathews has his flaws, including injury concerns, he has nonetheless averaged a lofty 4.4 yards per carry on nearly 1,200 career attempts. A Ravens team that tied for 20th in YPC last year (4.0) and won’t have the injured Kenneth Dixon in 2017 could use the type of per-carry production Matthews’ brings to the table.

More from the AFC:

  • The Steelers invested a second-round pick in Senquez Golson in 2015, but the cornerback’s lack of availability could bring an end to his time with the team, according to defensive coordinator Keith Butler (via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh-Post Gazette). “If he can’t stay on the field we can’t keep him,” said Butler. “That’s just the fact of the matter. That’s not threat or anything like that. That’s just the fact of the matter. It’s just the way it is for all of them.” Injuries prevented Golson from playing a down in either of his first two seasons, and a hamstring issue has kept him out for almost all of training camp this year.
  • Jets wide receiver/return man Lucky Whitehead will undergo surgery on his broken foot, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters Wednesday (via Dennis Waszak Jr. of the Associated Press). While it’s unclear exactly how much time Whitehead will miss, he’ll be on the shelf for a while. Bowles said that Whitehead “could potentially” play this year, per Waszak. The late-July waiver claim from the Cowboys had been in line to begin the season as Gang Green’s top returner. With would-be replacement Jalin Marshall out the first quarter of the season because of a suspension, the Jets could turn to one of Frankie Hammond, Romar Morris, Chris Harper or Marcus Murphy, Waszak suggests.
  • Fifth-round rookie Nathan Peterman has passed T.J. Yates on the Bills’ depth chart at quarterback, leading Mike Rodak of ESPN.com to argue that the team should release the veteran. The Bills would only have the untested Peterman behind starter Tyrod Taylor at that point, but as Rodak writes, the loss of Taylor for an extended period would kill their already slim hopes of contending anyhow. Further, cutting Yates would allow Buffalo to keep another player at a position of need, and it’s possible the team would be able to re-sign him at a later date if an emergency were to arise under center. Yates nearly went without an employer last season until the Dolphins signed him in mid-December, after all, though he did suffer an ACL tear late in the previous year.

Jets’ Lucky Whitehead Suffers Broken Foot

August 15th, 2017 at 3:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Lucky Whitehead has not had good fortune this offseason. The wide receiver suffered a broken foot in practice, coach Todd Bowles told reporters. Lucky Whitehead (vertical)

Whitehead made national headlines earlier this summer when a case of mistaken identity led to an arrest warrant and his release from the Cowboys. The Jets used their high waiver priority to snag Whitehead after he was dropped by Dallas and, at the time, it seemed like he had a pretty good chance of making the team. Unfortunately, his injury will sideline him for a good chunk of time, meaning that he will not be on the Week 1 53-man roster.

In theory, Whitehead’s injury could help 2016 seventh-round pick Charone Peake and other wide receiver hopefuls in their bid to make the cut. However, the Jets may want to look out-of-house for a return specialist who can offer what Whitehead would have brought to the table.

AFC Notes: Kap, Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, Pats

July 27th, 2017 at 8:32pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith became $2MM richer when he showed up to training camp Thursday, making his reporting bonus the largest in the NFL, per Field Yates of ESPN (on Twitter).

With Smith and first-round pick Patrick Mahomes in the fold, the Chiefs aren’t in the market for a signal-caller, but there would be “no hesitation” to sign polarizing free agent Colin Kaepernick if they were, owner Clark Hunt told NBC Sports Radio in San Francisco on Wednesday (via Scott Gleason of USA Today).

While Kaepernick’s political activism has made it difficult for him to find work since he opted out of his contract with the 49ers in March, that wouldn’t have deterred the Chiefs from pursuing him. Clark noted that “there are certain circumstances where guys get in trouble off the field, and that is something as an organization and as a family we care about,” but Kaepernick isn’t someone who has been a problem away from the gridiron.

Notably, Kaepernick was teammates with Smith when the two were 49ers from 2011-12. Kaepernick took the No. 1 job from Smith during that stretch, which led San Francisco to trade him to Kansas City, but there’s no chance of the two appearing on the same depth chart with the Chiefs.

More on KC and a few other AFC franchises:

  • Free agent wide receiver Anquan Boldin‘s workout in Buffalo this past Monday hasn’t led to a deal, though head coach Sean McDermott hasn’t closed the door on the 36-year-old signing with the Bills. McDermott told Mike Rodak of ESPN.com and other reporters Thursday that the two sides are still determining whether they’re the right match for each other. McDermott also called the meeting with Boldin a “nice visit,” according to Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News (Twitter link).
  • The Ravens were the only team other than the Jets to put him in a claim for wide receiver Lucky Whitehead, tweets Field Yates of ESPN. Whitehead hit waivers after the Cowboys cut him Monday, and he joined the Jets on Wednesday.
  • The Chiefs promoted Mike Borgonzi from co-director of player personnel to director of player personnel on Wednesday, per BJ Kissel of the team’s website. Borgonzi had shared the position with Brett Veach, who took over for the fired John Dorsey as Kansas City’s GM earlier this month. Veach beat out Borgonzi and others for the role.
  • Undrafted rookie Austin Carr could benefit from Andrew Hawkins‘ retirement more than any other Patriots receiver, observes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com. The Pats are still loaded at receiver, where they’ll primarily rely on Julian Edelman, Brandin Cooks, Chris Hogan, Malcolm Mitchell and Danny Amendola, but Hawkins’ exit leaves Carr as the next man up, writes Reiss. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Carr was the Big Ten receiver of the year last year, when he piled up 90 catches, 1,247 yards and 12 touchdowns at Northwestern.

AFC East Notes: Jets, Whitehead, Dolphins

July 26th, 2017 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a quick look at the AFC East:

  • Before he was claimed by the Jets, other teams that expressed interest in Lucky Whitehead were the Colts, Chiefs, and Saints, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter) hears from one source. The Bears showed a little interest as well. Reading between the lines, it sounds like the Colts, Chiefs, and Saints may have placed waiver claims on Whitehead while the Bears were on the fence about it as Wednesday approached. Of course, after finishing with a 5-11 record last year, the Jets had higher waiver priority than most.
  • The Dolphins worked out free agent offensive lineman Kitt O’Brien on Wednesday, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. O’Brien, 27, spent the 2013-14 campaigns in the Arena Football League after going undrafted out of Ball State. Subsequently, he latched on with the Colts, and had spent parts of the past two seasons on Indianapolis’ practice squad. O’Brien has yet to appear in an NFL game.
  • The Bills are leaving no stone unturned in their search for signal-callers, as the club worked out former Fresno State quarterback Marcus McDade on Monday, per Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link). McDade, who backed up Derek Carr with the Bulldogs, ultimately transferred to the other side of the planet, joining Samsung Frankfurt University in Germany. His most recent stop was the Indoor Football League, where McDade played for the Spokane Empire.

Dallas Robinson contributed to this post.

Jets Claim WR Lucky Whitehead

July 26th, 2017 at 3:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Lucky Whitehead has been claimed by the Jets, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. After a bizarre week, he’ll do his best to try and forget about everything in a new city. Lucky Whitehead (vertical)

Whitehead, a return specialist, had a warrant issued for his arrest earlier this week in connection with a shoplifting charge and a missed arraignment. Trouble is, the cops had the wrong man. The alleged robber apparently gave the police Whitehead’s date of birth and social security number, allowing him to skip town. Whitehead swore to the Cowboys that he had nothing to do with what he was being charged for, but the team waived him before allowing things to shake out.

On Wednesday morning, Whitehead’s agent said that his client did not want to play for the Cowboys anymore after they effectively called him “a liar.” He got his wish and he’ll now go from one of the league’s most talented squads to one of it’s least talented teams.

“I can’t speak for Lucky, we’d have to have a conversation about it because he loved being a Cowboy so much. I can’t put into words — this dude loved it, loved it as much as I’ve ever had a player love an organization. Loved it,” agent David Rich said. “This guy was arguably the most popular player on the team, which is interesting to have this happen to him, but I don’t think so. . . . [Whitehead and coach Jason Garrett] basically sat across the table, eye to eye, man to man, and he said, ‘I need you to believe me, coach.’ And they said, ‘We think you’re a liar.’”

Between 2015 and 2016, Whitehead averaged 25.6 yards per kick return and 6.9 yards per punt return. Jets fans shouldn’t expect to see him do much on offense, however. He had just nine receptions for 64 yards.

Whitehead’s place on the Jets’ 53-man roster is not a certainty, but he has a better chance of making the final cut than he did in Dallas.

Lucky Whitehead Won’t Return To Cowboys

July 26th, 2017 at 8:14am CST by Zachary Links

After a bizarre mixup led to his release from the Cowboys, Lucky Whitehead‘s agent says he is not interested in a return to Dallas. David Rich told Mike Florio of PFT that his client is hurt by the events that transpired earlier this week. Lucky Whitehead (vertical)

“I can’t speak for Lucky, we’d have to have a conversation about it because he loved being a Cowboy so much. I can’t put into words — this dude loved it, loved it as much as I’ve ever had a player love an organization. Loved it,” Rich said. “This guy was arguably the most popular player on the team, which is interesting to have this happen to him, but I don’t think so. . . . [Whitehead and coach Jason Garrett] basically sat across the table, eye to eye, man to man, and he said, ‘I need you to believe me, coach.’ And they said, ‘We think you’re a liar.’”

Whitehead is now on waivers and the league’s 31 other teams will have an opportunity to claim him this afternoon. Even if everyone passes on him, it doesn’t sound like we should expect a reunion for Whitehead and the Cowboys.

It sounds like the Cowboys probably aren’t looking to re-sign Whitehead anyway, choosing instead to move on from the situation as quickly as possible. Coaches reportedly have had issues with Whitehead in the past and fourth-round pick Ryan Switzer figures to handle a lot of Whitehead’s responsibilities this season.

Cowboys Notes: Whitehead, Lewis, Collins

July 25th, 2017 at 9:03pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Lucky Whitehead was unfortunately waived by the Cowboys following a case of mistaken identity, but the receiver/special-teamer had run afoul of club rules before, according to Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link). Whitehead had been accused of being “flighty with the truth,” and was “unaccountable” with the Dallas’ coaching staff. Last year, for instance, Whitehead reportedly slept through a Saturday walkthrough and was left home for a game against the Giants. While Whitehead certainly could have had his issues off the field, it’s also possible the Cowboys are leaking negative information on Whitehead given that it was their lack of follow-up that resulted in Whitehead’s release.

Here’s more on Whitehead and the rest of the Cowboys’ roster:

  • The NFLPA is conducting an investigation into Whitehead’s ouster and before it decides whether to take further action, as Ed Werder tweets. Whitehead, for his part, is understandably angry about how the situation played out, writes Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. “Let’s not sugarcoat anything,” Whitehead said. “I was pretty much being called a liar.” Now on waivers, Whitehead can be claimed by any of the other 31 NFL teams between now and tomorrow.
  • A Michigan jury has found Cowboys third-round corner Jourdan Lewis not guilty on both domestic violence and assault/battery counts, reports Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. Viewed as one of the top slot cornerback prospects in this year’s draft, Lewis fell to the 92nd overall selection following an alleged March altercation with his girlfriend. Now cleared, Lewis should be able to report to camp and compete for sub package snaps.
  • As part of his two-year, $15.4MM extension, offensive lineman La’el Collins will receive a $4MM signing bonus and $9.5MM fully guaranteed overall, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com. Collins will earn base salaries of $1MM and $4.5MM in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In 2019, Collins’ base salary is $6MM, but can increase to $8.5MM if he plays at least 85% of Dallas’ offensive snaps in each of the next two campaigns, per Archer.
  • Dallas defensive end David Irving offered an explanation for his four-game PED suspension today, blaming the ban on a “hidden ingredient” in a workout drink, per Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News. “I started taking it after the season when you’re not working out with the team, you know, something to get my a– in the gym,” said Irving. “It’s funny, I thought I was hitting a second puberty.” Irving, 23, appeared in 15 games for Dallas last season and developed into a serviceable pass rusher, especially near the end of the year. All told, he managed four sacks and 17 tackles while grading as the league’s No. 29 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus
  • Offensive lineman Byron Bell earned his second $150K bonus of the offseason by making weight on the first day of Cowboys training camp, reports Archer. Bell scored the same weight bonus when minicamp began, and will collect a third bonus during the first week of the regular season. Signed to a one-year deal in March, Bell will also earn a $1MM base salary, a $250K signing bonus, and $300K in per-game roster bonuses. The 28-year-old is in contention to serve as the top reserve lineman on one of the league’s best front fives.

Latest On Lucky Whitehead

July 25th, 2017 at 10:49am CST by Zachary Links

What a strange week it has been for Lucky Whitehead. First, an arrest warrant was issued for the wide receiver when he failed to appear at the arraignment for a previously unknown shoplifting charge. Hours later, the Cowboys decided to release him. Today, agent Dave Rich says that all charges have been dropped against his client and the warrant has been rescinded (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com). According to Rich, the cops had the wrong guy. Lucky Whitehead (vertical)

The good news Whitehead is now clear of any serious legal trouble. The bad news is that Whitehead’s name has been sullied by a bogus accusation and he may or may not be out of a job.

Apparently, the Cowboys did not file the paperwork on Whitehead in time to make his release official for Monday (Twitter link). If they still go through with releasing him, teams will have the opportunity to claim him on Wednesday afternoon. If they opt to retain Whitehead in light of today’s news, they’ll have to first mend a bridge with a player who may be harboring some bad feelings against the team.

Whitehead also has a bone to pick with the Prince William County Police Department. In a statement from Sergeant Jonathan L. Perok (link), the department says that they cuffed a man for petit larceny who provided Whitehead’s date of birth and social security number, but did not produce identification. The cops crosschecked the info with Whitehead’s DMV photo and decided to take the man at his word.

The Cowboys probably moved to quickly dump Whitehead because of the other headaches they are also dealing with. The team is still waiting for a ruling on the league’s Ezekiel Elliott investigation while linebacker Damien Wilson deals with the fallout from his 4th of July blowup.

Cowboys Release WR Lucky Whitehead

July 24th, 2017 at 6:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Earlier today, there were reports that Lucky Whitehead missed his arraignment date for a previously unknown shoplifting charge. Now, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport is reporting (via Twitter) that the Cowboys have released the wide receiver.

Lucky Whitehead (vertical)Back in June, the 25-year-old was arrested for misdemeanor petty larceny in Virginia, and he was scheduled for arraignment in mid-July. However, the wideout was a no-show, and now there’s a warrant out for his arrest. Whitehead is accused of taking less than $200 worth of items from a convenience store, according to Charean Williams of ProFootballTalk.com. ESPN.com’s Todd Archer tweets that the organization was prepared to move on from the wideout whether or not he was involved in the incident.

Considering the Cowboys’ depth at receiver, there were already questions about whether Whitehead would even earn a spot on this year’s squad. The former undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic proved to be a capable return man during his first two seasons in the league, averaging 25.6 yards per kick return and 6.9 yards per punt return between 2015 and 2016. However, in that same span, the receiver only hauled in nine catches for 64 yards. Following today’s news, it’s looking like the team will be relying on Ryan Switzer, Brice Butler, and Noah Brown to serve as back ups for Dez Bryant, Terrance Williams, and Cole Beasley.

Earlier today, Rapoport spoke to agent Dave Rich, who claimed his client wasn’t in Virginia during the time of the alleged incident. According to police, the theft took place at 1:30 in the morning, but Whitehead landed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia at 7:30. The organization, agent, and player weren’t aware of the arrest, and Whitehead “claims it wasn’t him” (all via Twitter). It sounds like the player is citing a case of mistaken identity, but the Cowboys apparently weren’t willing to see how the ordeal plays out.

The Cowboys have endured a number of off-the-field incidents this offseason, and the team is currently waiting for clarity on the availability of Ezekiel Elliott and Damien Wilson.

Arrest Out For Cowboys’ Lucky Whitehead

July 24th, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

It turns out Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead is facing some legal trouble, and it couldn’t be coming at a worse time. Whitehead missed his arraignment date for a previously unknown shoplifting charge, according to TMZ. Lucky Whitehead (vertical)

[RELATED: Cowboys Pushing For Zack Martin Deal]

Whitehead was arrested for misdemeanor petty larceny in Virginia back in June. He was scheduled for arraignment on July 6th, but he never showed. Now, he’s a wanted man with a warrant out for his arrest.

The 25-year-old has served as the Cowboys’ return man for the last two seasons, but he is on the bubble this summer in part because of his limited abilities on offense. Between 2015 and 2016, he averaged 25.6 yards per kick return and 6.9 yards per punt return. Meanwhile, he had just nine receptions for 64 yards. His off-the-field issues could further hurt his chances of making the final cut.

The Cowboys are already dealing with multiple off-the-field incidents that could impact the availability of key players like running back Ezekiel Elliott and linebacker Damien Wilson. Whitehead’s situation could prove to be more trouble that it’s worth for the Cowboys.

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