HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Lions Re-Sign DeShawn Shead

September 19th, 2018 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have re-signed cornerback DeShawn Shead, according to a team announcement. Shead will help fill in the gap while Darius Slay recovers from a concussion. 

Shead was a full-time starter for the 2016 Seahawks, but a knee injury suffered against the Falcons in the playoffs that year has altered the trajectory of his career. This year, he missed the Lions’ final cut, despite being their only notable addition at cornerback.

Shead’s initial deal with Detroit had a base value of $3.5MM with the potential to earn up to $6.5MM through playtime incentives. This time around, his deal likely comes with a lower financial ceiling.

Chargers Work Out DE Kony Ealy

September 19th, 2018 at 10:56am CST by Zachary Links

The Chargers are looking for defensive line help. On Wednesday, the club auditioned defensive end Kony Ealy plus defensive linemen Xavier Cooper and Anthony Lanier. 

Ealy hooked on with the Jets last year after being cut by the Patriots and proved to be a quality addition. While he didn’t light up the stat sheet in New York, he graded out as the No. 61 edge defender in the league. This year, he tried to make the Cowboys’ roster, but he was let go on cut weekend.

Cooper, a 2015 third-round pick of the Browns, missed the Jets’ cut earlier this month. He appeared in eight games for Gang Green and five contests for the Niners last year. Lanier, meanwhile, worked out for the Texans on Tuesday but left without a deal.

It seems likely that the Chargers will sign at least one player from this trio as they look to bolster their edge rush.

Bengals Sign RB Thomas Rawls

September 19th, 2018 at 10:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have signed running back Thomas Rawls, according to a club announcement. To make room, fellow running back Tra Carson has been waived/injured. 

Rawls spent the offseason with the Jets and many believed that he would emerge as an active participant in their running back committee. However, he was bounced during the club’s final cuts, and placed back on the free agent pile. Rawls flashed as a rookie with the Seahawks, amassing 830 yards in 2015. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done much in the last two years, so he’s looking to prove himself all over again.

Rawls will provide the Bengals with depth at running back while Joe Mixon heals up from a knee issue. In the interim, Giovani Bernard is expected to serve as the lead back with fourth-round pick Mark Walton as his primary understudy.

Jeremy Maclin Close To Being Healthy

September 19th, 2018 at 10:42am CST by Zachary Links

Free agent wide receiver Jeremy Maclin is close to being healthy after suffering a hamstring/glute injury in training, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter) hears. Garafolo expects Maclin to have some workouts and visits soon as teams have been keeping tabs on his situation. 

Maclin had offers in hand before NFL training camps began, but he was waiting for the “right opportunity” before signing. The Eagles had Maclin on their radar at one point, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll still have interest after turning back the clock with Jordan Matthews.

Maclin, 30, was a dynamic deep threat for the Eagles as he averaged nearly 1,000 receiving yards per season in Philadelphia, including a 1,300+ yard showing in 2014. He topped 1,000 yards in his first season with the Chiefs in 2015, but his production fell off over the last two years. Between those campaigns with the Chiefs and Ravens, Maclin played in just 24 total games and averaged only 42 receptions, 488 yards, and 2.5 touchdowns per year.

The veteran could find employment once he hits the workout circuit, though he’ll probably have to settle for something close to the league minimum.

Vikings Release DL David Parry

September 19th, 2018 at 10:14am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have released defensive lineman David Parry, according to a team announcement. Parry’s release makes room for the signing of Tom Johnson, who agreed to return to Minnesota on Tuesday.

Parry appeared in each of the Vikings’ first two games and even recorded a sack in their tie against the Packers on Sunday. But, something had to give after Johnson, a fellow interior defensive lineman, was brought back.

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.

Last year, Parry hooked on with the Saints, but missed the bulk of the year due to injury. Fortunately, Parry is healthy and has put distance between himself and his embarrassing arrest, so he shouldn’t have trouble finding work.

Patriots Sign CB Cyrus Jones

September 19th, 2018 at 9:52am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots signed cornerback Cyrus Jones off the Ravens practice squad, a source tells Jeff Howe of The Athletic (on Twitter). To make room for their 2016 second-round pick, the Pats released running back Kenjon Barner. It’s a two-year deal for Jones, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter), so the youngster can be controlled through the 2019 season.

Jones was released earlier this month during the Pats’ final roster cuts, but it wasn’t an easy call for New England. Now that he’s back in the fold, he figures to handle return punt returns while also seeing some reps at cornerback.

As a second-round pick of the Patriots in 2016, Jones saw time on special teams as a kick and punt returner. Last year, however, a torn ACL and partially torn meniscus cost him the season.

Barner, 28, was expected to handle some return work for the Pats when he was signed last week. The former Eagles running back will now look to hook on elsewhere.

Eagles Sign Jordan Matthews

September 19th, 2018 at 8:10am CST by Zachary Links

The Eagles reunited with wide receiver Jordan Matthews, according to a team announcement. To make room, the Eagles have placed veteran Mike Wallace on IR. 

[RELATED: Carson Wentz To Start In Week 3]

Matthews worked out for the Eagles on Tuesday – his first audition since the Patriots released him in August. Although he was not productive with Buffalo last year, the Eagles have seen what Matthews can do when he is fully healthy and in the right system. He enjoyed three 800-plus-yard seasons with Philly, two in Chip Kelly’s offense and the third — a 73-reception, 804-yard campaign in 2016 — under Doug Pederson. His totals in 2016 were a close second to Zach Ertz among Eagles receivers.

Wallace, meanwhile, suffered a broken fibula last week. The injury is not necessarily a season-ender, so he could be a candidate to return from IR in eight weeks or more.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Steelers, Ravens

September 18th, 2018 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Browns waiving kicker Zane Gonzalez, Hue Jackson did not know the second-year specialist was dealing with a groin injury. The third-year Browns HC (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk) said he knew “nothing about an injury whatsoever” and that no one from the Browns’ medical department told him Gonzalez was hurt, which could set up for an interesting situation as Cleveland pivots to another kicker. It hasn’t been reported that Gonzalez was waived with an injury designation, and Florio posits an injury grievance from Gonzalez could be in the cards. Gonzalez’s groin malady required an MRI, but he still attempted a 52-yard field goal in the final seconds Sunday. This information also doesn’t put Jackson in an especially positive light, given Gonzalez’s struggles on Sunday — ones that led directly to Cleveland’s 21-18 loss.

Shifting from a player the Browns just cut to one they opted not to draft, here’s the latest from the AFC North:

  • Sam Darnold did his best to not offer much regarding his draft-night mindset, but he did say he expected the Browns to take him at No. 1 due to the amount of time John Dorsey and Co. spent with him leading into the draft, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes. The Browns spent time with all four of the top quarterback prospects before narrowing their decision to Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen. “We spent time with (Darnold) and his family, and obviously, every quarterback. We feel very comfortable with the guy that we selected in Baker, and I’m sure they do with him,” Jackson said. “He’s a fine prospect and is going to be a fine player. I think they got a good one, but we feel we have a really good one, too.”
  • The Ravens are not counting on having C.J. Mosley available for their Week 3 game against the Broncos, David Ginsburg of the Associated Press notes. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker suffered a bruised left knee in Baltimore’s loss in Cincinnati. Rookie Kenny Young and Patrick Onwuasor were called to action in place of Mosley, who’s only missed two games (both in 2016) in his career. A fourth-round pick, Young looks like the Sunday starter, per Ginsburg.
  • Broncos rookie UDFA Phillip Lindsay sits third among the league’s rushing leaders going into Week 3’s Baltimore trip, and Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets the Colorado product narrowed his post-draft choices to the Broncos and Ravens. Lindsay (178 rushing yards on 6.1 per carry) is part of a two-rookie backfield in Denver. The Ravens opted to retain their status quo at running back, with Alex Collins, Kenneth Dixon and Javorius Allen back.
  • Allen is now on IR, though the Ravens would’ve preferred to keep both he and cornerback Maurice Canady on their active roster rather than shelve them for at least two months, Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic notes. Neither’s injury is a season-ending setback, and Dixon is a candidate to return from IR later in the season.
  • Le’Veon Bell‘s agent, Adisa Bakari, attended the Steelers‘ season-opening tie in Cleveland, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes the vibe between he and Steelers brass wasn’t particularly uncomfortable. Bakari also represents Tyrod Taylor. Nothing on the Bell front’s transpired in several days, and Pittsburgh’s bracing for a long absence.
  • Mike Tomlin expressed frustration with punter Jordan Berry, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (on Twitter), and he may be on the verge of losing his job. The Steelers brought in free agent punters Jeff Locke and Justin Vogel for workouts today, Kaboly tweets. Berry’s been Pittsburgh’s punter since 2015, and the Steelers signed him to an extension in February.
  • With Joe Mixon out for a bit, the Bengals brought in a host of running backs for Tuesday workouts. Thomas Rawls, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Troymaine Pope and Matthew Dayes trekked to Cincinnati for auditions, Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan tweets.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/18/18

September 18th, 2018 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here’s the latest from the NFL workout circuit on a busy Tuesday. All links to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted.

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Redskins

Jets Work Out 5 Tackles

September 18th, 2018 at 9:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jets’ Tuesday workout schedule proved to be quite specific. Only one position was brought through for Jets brass in advance of the team’s Thursday-night game against the Browns.

Five tackles auditioned for Gang Green today, with Field Yates of ESPN.com tweeting Menelik Watson, Will Beatty, Cyrus Kouandjio, Cornelius Lucas and Chaz Green comprised the quintet.

New York already has Ben Ijalana on IR, and Kelvin Beachum entered the week with a foot injury. So did guard James Carpenter. However, both upgraded to full practices by Tuesday.

Watson and Kouandjio both went to camp with the Broncos. Neither former second-round pick made Denver’s 53-man roster, although Watson pocketed some additional money thanks to guarantees in his 2017 free agent contract with the team. He made seven starts with the 2017 Broncos.

Beatty is now 33 and hasn’t been an NFL regular since his run as the Giants’ left tackle ended after the 2014 season. He did play in one game for the Eagles last season and in six for the 2016 Giants, however, and is trying his hand at latching on with a team for another season.

A third-round Cowboys pick in 2015, Green started four games last season but experienced consistent trouble blocking Adrian Clayborn during the then-Falcons defensive end’s six-sack day. A four-year veteran, Lucas started one game for the Rams last season and worked out for the Texans last week.

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