HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Eagles Host DL Cedric Thornton

May 16th, 2018 at 6:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Eagles recently hosted free agent defensive lineman Cedric Thornton for a workout, according to Geoff Mosher of 97.5 The Fanatic (Twitter link).

Thornton is no stranger to Philadelphia, as he signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent out of Southern Arkansas in 2012. Thornton, now 29, went on to start 45 games for the Birds, and was extremely effective after the Eagles shifted to a 3-4 scheme under Chip Kelly in 2014. As an oversized defensive end, Thornton especially excelled against the run.

Thornton signed a four-year deal with the division-rival Cowboys in 2016, but made it only one season in Dallas before being released. He quickly resurfaced with Bills on a single-season pact, and ultimately appeared in 15 games and made three starts for Buffalo. During that time, Thornton posted 18 tackles and two sacks, but graded as the fifth-worst interior defender among 122 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus.

Now that the Eagles are running a 4-3 front, Thornton would likely line up at defensive tackle if signed. Philadelphia is on the hunt for depth given that starting tackle Timmy Jernigan is expected to miss four-to-six months following back surgery, while defensive ends Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham (who recently underwent a minor ankle operation, per Tim McManus of ESPN.com) are also recovering from surgery. The Eagles have also looked at other free agent defenders in recent weeks, as they expressed interest in Terrell McClain before he signed with the Falcons and met with Courtney Upshaw.

Seahawks Sign Rookie RB Rashaad Penny

May 16th, 2018 at 5:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Seahawks have signed first-round running back Rashaad Penny, the club announced today.

Like every first-round pick, Penny has inked a four-year deal that includes a fifth-year option for the 2021 campaign. Per Over the Cap, Penny’s new contract should be worth roughly $10.765MM and come with a $5.909MM signing bonus. His 2017 cap charge will come in around $1.957MM.

Seattle traded back from No. 18 to No. 27 in the first round before selecting Penny, picking up an extra third-rounder in the process. Penny, a San Diego State product, should front the Seahawks’ backfield as the team attempts to reinstall the ground-and-pound approach that made them successful earlier this decade. Penny, who stands 5’11”, 220 pounds, posted a whopping 2,248 rushing yards and 23 rushing touchdowns during his final collegiate season.

With Penny under contract, the Seahawks have only three members of its nine-man draft class unsigned: defensive end Rasheem Green, defensive end Shaquem Griffin, and defensive back Tre Flowers.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/16/18

May 16th, 2018 at 4:45pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: DE Patrick Afriyie, WR Justice Liggins, WR Nelson Spruce

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Seahawks To Sign Keenan Reynolds

May 16th, 2018 at 4:42pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks are signing former Navy wide receiver/return man Keenan Reynolds, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Reynolds was selected in the sixth-round of the 2016 draft by the Ravens, but has yet to see the field in a regular season game. 

The Ravens kept Reynolds on the practice squad for much of the 2016 season but released him prior to the final cuts last year. In November, he hooked on with the Redskins’ taxi squad but was not retained with a futures contract.

Reynolds was a standout quarterback at Navy, but NFL clubs have viewed him as a wide receiver/kick returner in the past. Presumably, that’s how the Seahawks intend on using him if he makes the squad.

Reynolds finished fifth in Heisman voting in 2015 as he ran for 1,373 yards. Reynolds cleared 1,100 yards rushing in three of his collegiate seasons and averaged 4.7 yards per tote across four years. As a senior, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry.

The emergence of Reynolds prompted the Department of Defense to change its rules regarding the eligibility of its graduates in professional sports. However, the academies reverted back to the old rules in 2017.

Draft Signings: Patriots, Ravens, Raiders

May 16th, 2018 at 3:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at today’s non-first round draft signings:

  • The Patriots signed second-round cornerback Duke Dawson. The Pats moved around quite a bit on draft weekend, including a trade up fro No. 63 to No. 56 to select Dawson. As shown on Roster Resource, the Florida product figures to be one of the team’s primary backups to starters Jonathan Jones and Stephon Gilmore, along with veteran Jason McCourty. Dawson’s deal is worth $4.7MM over four years, as dictated by his draft slot.
  • The Ravens signed third-round tackle Orlando Brown. Per the terms of his slot, Brown will receive a four-year, $3.491MM deal. Tight end Mark Andrews, who was Brown’s teammate at Oklahoma and also selected in the third round, has also inked his deal. As of this writing, the Ravens have just two unsigned picks in first round selections Hayden Hurst and Lamar Jackson.
  • The Raiders signed two draft picks today: Michigan defensive tackle Maurice Hurst (fifth round) and Oklahoma State wide receiver Marcell Ateman (seventh). Five of their nine picks now under contract, as shown on PFR’s tracker. From a talent perspective, Hurst was viewed as one of the top interior defensive linemen in the draft, but heart issues caused him to fall. The Michigan product will join fellow rookie Arden Key on the defensive line, giving the Raiders a double dose of young boom-or-bust talent.

Broncos Notes: Kaepernick, Elway

May 16th, 2018 at 2:43pm CST by Zachary Links

On Wednesday morning, Broncos GM John Elway gave his deposition to lawyers in the Colin Kaepernick collusion grievance case against the NF, as Mike Klis of 9NEWS tweets. As has been the case with most of the depositions thus far, Kaepernick was personally on hand.

As Klis notes, the Broncos were one of just a few teams who were keenly interested in Kaepernick in 2016 and, technically speaking, Elway may be the last executive who offered him a job. Elway tried to orchestrate a trade for Kaep with the 49ers after Peyton Manning‘s retirement, but Kaepernick declined to take a pay cut. Eventually, the Broncos moved on and selected Paxton Lynch in the first round of the 2016 draft.

Here’s more from Denver:

  • Broncos running back De’Angelo Henderson was briefly hospitalized with minor injuries over the weekend after he was an accidental victim of a high-speed police chase. “I don’t know if lucky is the word,” said Henderson (via Klis), whose car went airborne and flipped in the air. “Blessed. There’s just so many different words.’’ Henderson says he suffered a slightly sprained ankle and shoulder, but “nothing that’s going to keep (him) out for a significant time.”
  • Oregon running back Royce Freeman fell to the Broncos in the third round and some evaluators believe that his 947 carries in college played a role in his position on the board. Freeman, who saw seven running backs drafted before him, feels that he did not deserve a demerit for his odometer. “I feel like all of that durability and all of those carries just reflected my productivity throughout my four years at Oregon,” Freeman said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold). “It is not often you get backs playing as many games or taking as many carries. I feel like the fact that I was able to do so proves I am a durable running back.”

Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Jets’ Robby Anderson

May 16th, 2018 at 1:07pm CST by Zachary Links

Florida prosecutors have dropped felony charges against Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson, attorney Ed O’Donnell tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Anderson was previously set to go to trial for resisting arrest with violence after getting into a fight at an event in Miami.

Even with that situation behind him, Anderson still has more legal proceedings ahead. In January, Anderson was arrested and threatening to sexually assault the wife of a police officer. The 25-year-old was originally facing nine charges for the incident, but three felonies were later dropped. Regardless of how things play out with the six remaining charges, it seems likely that Anderson will face a suspension from the NFL.

Anderson enjoyed a breakout season with the Jets in 2017, recording 63 receptions for 941 yards and seven touchdowns as an NFL sophomore. A big-play threat, Anderson recorded six of his seven scoring grabs from more than 20 yards away from the goal line. New York has hedged against a possible Anderson ban by inking fellow pass-catchers Terrelle Pryor and Andre Roberts this offseason. They’re also banking on a big season from a healthy Quincy Enunwa and contributions from veteran Jermaine Kearse.

This week, fellow Jet Kevin Pierre-Louis avoided trial for drug possession by agreeing to one-year of probation with Kansas prosecutors.

Breeland To Meet With Colts, Cardinals

May 16th, 2018 at 12:28pm CST by Zachary Links

Free agent cornerback Bashaud Breeland will visit the Colts on Wednesday and the Cardinals on Thursday, a source tells Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Demovsky hears his foot issue is healed and he is expected to be able to pass all medical tests. 

Breeland was one of the top cornerbacks on the market this offseason and agreed to a three-year, $24MM deal with the Panthers in March. Days later, the Panthers 86’d the deal due to an infected cut on his foot that prevented him from passing a physical.

Freak accident aside, Breeland has been largely healthy over the course of his four-year NFL career. The 26-year-old appeared in all but one of the Redskins’ games last season and has missed just four possible regular season games since entering the league in 2014.

Last year, Breeland tallied 47 tackles and one interception, which was returned 96 yards for a touchdown against the Chargers. Pro Football Focus bestowed a middling grade on Breeland as he played opposite of star Josh Norman, but he did improve from 2016 to ’17, per the advanced metrics.

The Cardinals’ need for a quality partner alongside Patrick Peterson has been well documented. This offseason, the Cardinals brought in free agents Bene Benwikere and Marcus Williams to compete with Brandon Williams for the second starting role. If healthy, Breeland would be their clear CB2.

The Colts, meanwhile, project to start Quincy Wilson and Kenny Moore at cornerback after losing Rashaan Melvin to free agency.

Randy Gregory To Apply For Reinstatement

May 16th, 2018 at 12:18pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys defensive end Randy Gregory will formally apply for reinstatement on Thursday, sources tell NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). Reinstatement rulings are typically delivered within a 60-day window, so Gregory could be cleared in time for training camp. 

Gregory recently spent more than six weeks in intensive rehab for drug and alcohol use and has also received counseling to combat his issues. Teammate Tyrone Crawford has told the league that it would be best for Gregory’s recovery if he is allowed back in football and Gregory’s camp is likely to make a similar argument.

The Cowboys are hopeful that Gregory will be allowed to play in 2018, but they are not banking on his return either.

“I am not confident [in Gregory being reinstated], but I do see where his heart is,” owner Jerry Jones said recently. “He is one the smartest people to have played this game. This is a tremendous step. He has had that same IQ since he has had these issues. That’s an issue. This is definitely a medical issue. There is no doubt in my mind about the medical. That is another campaign. It’s a pretty circuitous route. It has a lot of discretionary things to determine. There is a lot of subjectiveness. But he is doing very well. He’s got a lot to play for. He has a new baby. He has a lot going for him. He is very astute about knowing that. He has to do what a lot of us have had to do and that is to do better at 24 and 25 than when you were 20.”

Some felt that Gregory had top 10 talent heading into the 2015 draft, but he slid to the Cowboys in the second round following a positive test for marijuana at the combine. So far, the Nebraska product has notched just 15 career tackles. He has one sack to his credit, which came in Dallas’ 2016 season finale. He has not taken the field since.

Vikings Sign DL David Parry

May 16th, 2018 at 11:32am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have signed defensive lineman David Parry, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Vikings met with the former Colts and Saints lineman last week and came to terms on Wednesday morning.

Parry started 32 games for the Colts as a nose tackle in Indianapolis’ 3-4 scheme, but a bizarre incident in February of last year put his football future into jeopardy. Parry was alleged to have attacked a taxi cart driver, car(t)jacked the vehicle, and threatened police officers. At one point in time, Parry was facing jail time with four charges against him. One of the charges was for committing a “Super Extreme” DUI in the state of Arizona, since he operated the cart with a high blood alcohol level.

Eventually, the Saints took a flier on him, but an injury in Week 4 cost him the bulk of the season. He was later tagged with a suspension for the aforementioned incident, but he was able to serve his time while on IR.

The Vikings’ impressive defensive line features starting defensive tackles Linval Joseph and Sheldon Richardson. Parry will fight for a place in the rotation along with last year’s fourth-round pick Jaleel Johnson and Cashaud Lyons.

Speaking of the Vikings’ defensive line, Brian Robison has committed to return for his 12th NFL season. Robison is the team’s longest-tenured active player.

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