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: Giants, Dolphins, Chiefs
The Giants are working out a handful of kickers today, including Kyle Brindza, Zach Hocker, Corey Acosta, and Tom Obarski, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link). Josh Brown has been a little inconsistent on kickoffs, putting one out of bounds on Sunday, but it’s hard to imagine the team making a change, considering he’s perfect on field goals and has missed just one extra point. As Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets, the Giants are likely just kicking the tires on free agents.
Let’s round up a few more workout updates from around the NFL…
- Defensive linemen Jerel Worthy, Derrick Lott, Glenn Foster, and Davon Coleman worked out for the Dolphins today, says Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Worthy and Foster are the most notable names of the group, having each logged a full season’s worth of regular season contests with the Packers and Saints, respectively.
- Lott was also among the players who tried out recently for the Chiefs, per Wilson (Twitter links). Running back Gus Johnson, defensive end Lawrence Okoye, and linebacker Alex Singleton also got a look from Kansas City.
- According to Wilson (via Twitter), before signing wideout Corey Washington to the practice squad, Washington also worked out receiver Marcus Lucas and tight end Connor Hamlett.
- Offensive lineman Ben Gottschalk, who spent time in the summer on the Niners’ roster, auditioned for the Buccaneers today, tweets Wilson.
- Former USC outside linebacker J.R. Tavai had a tryout with the Packers today, according to Wilson (via Twitter). Tavai signed with the Titans as an undrafted free agent in May, but was cut by the team prior to the regular season.
- The Cardinals auditioned cornerback Keith Lewis, who was cut by the Jets back in August, tweets Wilson.
- On the heels of Jason Myers missing his third PAT of the season, Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley noted that Myers’ kickoffs were also a little short, and mentioned the possibility of bringing in kickers for workouts, per Mike DiRocco of ESPN.com. According to Bradley, GM Dave Caldwell will make that call.
Workout Notes: Titans, Brown, Johnson, Dixon
Just over seven months after he announced his retirement from the NFL, cornerback Cortland Finnegan had a workout today with the Patriots. Finnegan, 31, was one of the league’s worst cornerbacks in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games. As such, it came as a bit of a surprise when Miami inked the former Ram to a two-year, $11MM deal in 2014. He might not be worthy of that kind of pay, but he could make for an intriguing depth option for the Pats or another team.
Here’s a rundown of today’s other workouts from around the NFL, with all links going to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post on Twitter, unless noted otherwise..
- The Titans worked out running backs Bryce Brown, Storm Johnson, George Arkinson and quarterback Michael German (link).
- Safety Ahmad Dixon worked out for the Bengals today, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
- The Falcons worked out linebackers Emmanuel Acho, Carlos Fields, Khaseem Greene, and Ronald Powell (link).
- The Panthers tried out Nate Askew, Chykie Brown, Bradley Fletcher, Connor Hamlett, Douglas McNeil, Bear Pascoe, and cornerback Cassius Vaughn (Twitter links).
- The Bears worked out defensive backs Ri’Shard Anderson, Robert McClain, Brandian Ross, and Pierre Warren (link).
- The Broncos worked out Harold Spears, Paul Browning, DaVaris Daniels, Sage Harold, John Lowdermilk, Andrew McDonald, and Ryan Murphy (Twitter links).
- The Lions worked out Desmond Martin and Corey Washington (link).
- The Colts worked out Carrington Byndom and Jeromy Miles (link).
- The Dolphins worked out defensive backs Garry Peters and Kevin White (link).
- The Jaguars worked out wide receivers Jordan Leslie, Uzoma Nwachukwu, and L’Damian Washington (link).
- The Vikings worked out defensive lineman Chigbo Anunoby (link).
- The Patriots worked out center Jared Smith (link).
- The Jets worked out Greg Scruggs and Marcus Lucas (link).
- The Seahawks worked out Darius Eubanks, Danny Gorrer, Damaris Johnson, Nick Kasa, Horace Miller, Dontay Moch, Tyler Slavin, Matthew Wells (link). They also hosted Harold Spears and Dax Swanson (link).
- Washington worked out Tommy Streeter, Nick Harwell, Anthony Johnson, Toby Johnson, Ronald Powell, Kelcy Quarles, and Julius Warmsley (link).
Workout Notes: Bears, Broncos, Packers
Here’s a roundup of today’s auditions from around the NFL. All links go to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle on Twitter), unless noted otherwise..
- The Lions worked out nose tackle Kenrick Ellis, nose tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, and defensive end Jerel Worthy, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes.
-
The Seahawks worked out cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Chimdi Chekwa, Rand Getlin of NFL.com tweets.
- The Bears worked out wide receivers Marcus Lucas and Nathan Palmer, guard Cole Manhart, and tackles Tyler Moore and Byron Stingily (link).
- The Broncos worked out punter Kasey Redfern (link).
- The Packers worked out running back Akeem Hunt, wide receiver Donatella Luckett, quarterback Phillip Sims, wide receiver Tyler Slavin, running back Dreamius Smith, linebacker Colton Underwood, and linebacker Matthew Wells (link).
- The Dolphins worked out wide receivers Isaiah Burse and Rannell Hall, defensive tackle Jacobbi McDaniel, guards Vinston Painter and Anthony Steen, defensive tackle Olsen Pierre, linebacker Mike Reilly, strong safety Brandian Ross, and defensive end Quanterus Smith (link + link).
- The Saints worked out punter Steven Clark, guard Travis Bond, punter Robert Malone, guard Jacques McClendon, and punter Brian Moorman (link).
- The Giants worked out defensive end Jake Bequette, tight end Cameron Clear, quarterback Cody Fajardo, and tight end Brian Leonhardt (link).
- The Jets worked out defensive end DeAngelo Tyson (link).
- The Bucs worked out linebacker Ronald Powell (link).
- The Titans worked out David Arkin, James Brewer, Lemuel Jeanpierre, Alex Kupper, Joe Looney, and Cody White (link).
- Defensive tackle Joe Vellano worked out for the Lions today (link).
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 9/29/15
Here are Tuesday’s practice squad signings and cuts from around the NFL, with any additional moves added to the list throughout the day:
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: S Marcus Ball (Twitter link)
Dallas Cowboys
- Signed: DE Lavar Edwards (Twitter link via Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com)
- Cut: OL Ronald Patrick
Denver Broncos
- To be signed: T Antonio Johnson (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
- Cut: OLB Danny Mason (via Nicki Jhabvala of The Denver Post)
Indianapolis Colts
- Signed: QB Alex Tanney (press release)
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: WR Shaq Evans (Twitter link via Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union)
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: WR Marcus Lucas (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Cut: LB Terrell Manning (Twitter link via Jayson Braddock)
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: WR Donte Foster (Twitter link)
- Cut: FB Blake Renaud
New York Giants
- Signed: WR Tavarres King (Twitter link via Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News)
- Cut: OL Vinston Painter (Twitter link via Wilson)
New York Jets
- Signed: S Ronald Martin (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com)
- Cut: CB Keon Lyn
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: C B.J. Finney (Twitter link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
- Cut: C Barrett Jones
San Diego Chargers
- Signed: G Michael Huey (via Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego)
St. Louis Rams
- Signed: WR Nick Toon (Twitter link via Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: DT Derrick Lott (press release)
- Cut: CB Imoan Claiborne
Washington:
- Signed: C Austin Reiter (Twitter link via Zac Boyer of the Washington Times)
Workout Notes: 9/23/15
Teams around the NFL are bringing in players for workouts, surveying the free agent landscape for possible practice squad additions or 53-man roster players, either for the near future or down the road. Here are a few of the latest auditions from across the league, via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (all links go to Twitter):
AFC:
- Former Broncos cornerback Tony Carter had a workout with the Ravens, who have liked him for a while. Of course, up until very recently, Carter was under contract with Denver.
- In addition to Matt Huffer, whose workout was reported yesterday, offensive linemen Kevin Graf, Antonio Johnson, and Travis Bond, along with defensive ends Matt Conrath and Xzavier Dickson, were among the players who auditioned for the Broncos this week.
- We already heard that the Jets brought in multiple receivers this week for workouts, and we can add a few more names to that list: DaVaris Daniels, Titus Davis, and Josh Lenz got a look from New York.
- It was a linebacker-heavy workout group this week in Jacksonville, as the Jaguars auditioned Jeff Luc, Alex Singleton, and Jordan Tripp, in addition to Jayson DiManche, whose workout was previously reported.
- We can add tight end Nick Kasa, guard Joe Looney, wide receiver Marcus Lucas, ex-Niners tackle Sean Hooey, and former Titans tackle Byron Stingily to the list of players who tried out for the Dolphins this week. We learned yesterday that tight end Adrien Robinson also visited the team.
- The lengthy roster of players who auditioned this week for the Titans: cornerbacks Robert McClain, Robert Steeples, Shaun Prater, and Carrington Byndom; safeties Jean Fanor and Robert Lester; and wide receiver Nick Toon.
NFC:
- The Panthers brought in several defensive backs for tryouts, taking a look at Richard Crawford, Ras-I Dowling, and Tajh Hasson.
- Wide receiver Deonte Thompson turned an audition with the Bears into a practice squad spot this week, but he wasn’t the only player to work out for the team. The club also brought in wide receiver DeVier Posey, quarterback Alex Tanney, and QB Justin Worley.
- The Lions were eyeing veteran defensive backs this week, with ex-Giants safety Stevie Brown, longtime Panthers safety Charles Godfrey, and former Raiders DB Brandian Ross all coming in for auditions. The club also worked out tight end Mickey Shuler.
- Defensive tackle Deandre Coleman, cut from the Dolphins’ practice squad last week, and former Broncos defensive end Quanterus Smith both worked out for the Seahawks this week.
- After being removed from the Patriots’ injured reserve list last week, wide receiver Jonathan Krause tried out for the Eagles.
- Washington auditioned two linebackers who hit the open market within the last few weeks, bringing in ex-Bengal Nico Johnson and former Seahawk Alex Singleton. It’s been a busy week for Singleton, who also worked out for the Jaguars, as noted above.
- The Packers took a look this week at tight end Blake Annen, defensive tackle Justin Hamilton, CFL linebacker Henoc Muamba, and linebacker Josh Shirley.
Workout Notes: 9/12/15
The Chiefs worked out former seventh-round pick Cam Johnson, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The linebacker spent the previous three seasons with the Colts, compiling five tackles in 13 appearances. A 49ers draft pick in 2012, Johnson was waived by Indy last week.
Let’s check out some more audition notes from around the league. All links are via Wilson, unless noted otherwise…
- The Jaguars worked out wideout Shaq Evans and quarterbacks Shane Carden and McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Carden, an undrafted rookie, inked a deal with the Bears following the draft. Meanwhile, Bethel-Thompson, an undrafted rookie in 2011, is still looking to make his NFL debut (Twitter link).
- The Packers auditioned a group of players: receivers Issac Blakeney, Titus Davis, and Marcus Lucas, defensive ends Nordly Capi and Derrick Lott, linebacker Jeff Luc, and quarterback Donovan Porterie (Twitter link).
Panthers Organize Regular-Season Roster
The Panthers cut 22 players to officially reduce their roster to 53, reports Max Henson of Panthers.com.
In addition to placing rookie defensive end Arthur Miley on injured reserve and reaching an injury settlement with offensive lineman Brian Folkerts, the Panthers cut Jordan Todman. This leaves Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne as Jonathan Stewart‘s primary backups.
The remaining Carolina cuts are as follows:
- Chas Alecxih, DT
- Marcus Ball, S
- Brenton Bersin, WR
- Brian Blechen, LB
- Mike Brown, WR
- Carrington Byndom, CB
- Damiere Byrd, WR
- Rakim Cox, DE
- David Foucault, T
- Adarius Glanton, LB
- T.J. Heath, CB
- Ricky Henry, G
- Marcus Lucas, TE
- Jordan McCray, G
- Terry Redden, DT
- Scott Simonson, TE
- Jason Trusnik, LB
- Martin Wallace, T
- Lou Young, CB
Panthers Cut Brenton Bersin, Three Others
Panthers wideout Brenton Bersin was among the Panthers cuts this morning, according to Joseph Person and Jonathan Jones of the Charlotte Observer.
The former Wofford standout joined the organization last season as an undrafted free agent, and he ended up compiling 13 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown in 15 games. The 25-year-old reportedly had a solid camp, but the recent acquisition of former Seahawks wideout Kevin Norwood made Bersin expendable.
Even after acquiring Norwood, the writers note that the Panthers plan on being aggressive on the waiver wire as they look to reinforce their receiving corps. The team’s depth chart was thrown into disarray following the season-ending injury to Kelvin Benjamin.
The Panthers also let go of three other players this morning:
- Mike Brown, WR
- Marcus Lucas, TE
- Marcus Ball, S
Panthers Sign Nine To Futures Contracts
With their season now officially over, the Panthers have begun to take care of 2015 business by signing the majority of their practice squad to reserve/futures contracts. Per a team release, nine of the 10 players that finished the season on Carolina’s taxi squad have now been locked up to new deals. And according to Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), wide receiver Stephen Hill, the one player who hasn’t signed, is expected to do so tomorrow.
Here’s the list of players the Panthers signed today:
- Derek Dennis, OL
- Kevin Greene, TE
- Marcus Lucas, WR
- Kimario McFadden, S
- Horace Miller, LB
- Darrin Reaves, RB
- Micanor Regis, DT
- Martin Wallace, T
- Lou Young, CB
The Panthers previously signed guard Tyronne Green and tight end Mike McNeill to reserve/futures deals.