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Arthur Brown

Seahawks Cut Arthur Brown

July 31st, 2017 at 11:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks are releasing linebacker Arthur Brown, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter). The move will create room for the newly re-signed Mike Morgan. Arthur Brown (Vertical)

[RELATED: Seahawks Bring Back Mike Morgan]

Brown held lots of promise as a second-round pick of the Ravens in 2013, but the 27-year-old hasn’t done much at the professional level. Last year, he was cut by the Ravens prior Week 1 and didn’t do much in subsequent stints with the Jaguars and Jets. He played primarily on special teams and did not register a single tackle on defense. In fact, his last official tackle came in 2013.

In other Seahawks news, we learned over the weekend that rookie defensive tackle Malik McDowell could miss the entire 2017 season.

 

Seahawks Sign Arthur Brown

March 17th, 2017 at 4:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Arthur Brown‘s visit to Seattle clearly went well. The Seahawks have signed the linebacker, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link).

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A second-round pick of the Ravens in 2013, the 26-year-old Brown hasn’t found a niche as a defender and is coming off a season in which he spent time with the Ravens, Jaguars and Jets. Baltimore cut Brown before Week 1, and the special teamer went on to appear in 14 games with Jacksonville and New York. For the third straight season, though, he didn’t register a tackle on defense.

Brown, who has 15 tackles and a half-sack in his career, is the brother of former Seahawks running back Bryce Brown. Arthur Brown will take on a depth role similar to the one fellow linebacker Brock Coyle filled in Seattle over the past three years, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

Seahawks Visits: Charles, RJF, A. Brown

March 16th, 2017 at 7:27pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent running back Jamaal Charles had a “good visit” with the Seahawks, but he doesn’t plan to sign there – at least not yet – a source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Charles may meet with another team next week, per Florio, who notes that the club’s identity isn’t yet known.

Jamaal Charles (Vertical)

Given that Seattle already added a No. 1-caliber rusher, Eddie Lacy, this week, it’s interesting that Charles isn’t ruling out signing there. In addition to Lacy, the Seahawks have Thomas Rawls and C.J. Prosise as prominent members of their running back corps, so there doesn’t seem to be a fit for Charles on paper.

As Charles leaves Seattle without a deal, two defenders – tackle Ricky Jean-Francois and linebacker Arthur Brown – are on their way to visit the team, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Jean-Francois came available when the Redskins released him Wednesday, after he had played in all of their games and totaled eight starts over the previous two seasons. The Seahawks are lacking established depth behind starting defensive tackles Jarran Reed and Ahtyba Rubin, which Jean-Francois would provide. The 30-year-old is excited about the possibility of joining the Seahawks.

“It would be great to get a chance to get out of a 3-4 and play in a 4-3, because I would get to use more of my skill-set and not be limited,” he told ESPN’s Josina Anderson. “In the 3-4, I feel like you can only do so much; but in a 4-3, I feel like you can get uphill more and disrupt the back field.”

Brown, meanwhile, is looking for a fourth team after spending the first four years of his career with the Ravens, Jaguars and Jets. The 2013 second-round pick hasn’t lived up to his draft selection, as he has just a half-sack and no starts on his resume. Brown, 26, has primarily served as a special teamer in the pros.

Workout Updates: Seahawks, Patriots, Ravens

December 27th, 2016 at 5:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Seahawks, with a below-average rushing attack and Thomas Rawls nursing a shoulder injury, worked out five free agent running backs Tuesday, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Stevan Ridley, Jonas Gray, Dan Herron, LaMichael James and Dominique Williams all auditioned for the club. The most established member of the group is Ridley, who has been available since Atlanta released him Nov. 23. The 27-year-old has just one appearance and three carries to his name this season and has seen his playing time sharply decline since a 1,263-yard campaign with New England in 2012. Gray, also an ex-Pat, has made little impact since averaging 4.6 yards per attempt on 89 carries in 2014, his rookie year. He hasn’t found an employer since the Jaguars waived him Aug. 17.

Along with those rushers, defensive back L.J. McCray visited the Seahawks, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. The Seahawks agreed to acquire McCray from the 49ers back in early September, but the deal fell through after he failed his physical. San Francisco then cut McCray, who hasn’t landed anywhere since.

More workouts from Tuesday:

  • The Patriots auditioned linebacker Arthur Brown, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). Both the Jaguars and Jets have cut Brown this month. He entered the league in 2013 as Baltimore’s second-round pick.
  • Cornerbacks Tharold Simon and Steve Williams tried out for the Ravens, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Simon made nine appearances earlier this season with the Cardinals, who cut him last week. He’s better known for his 11-appearance, five-start tenure with Seattle from 2014-15. Williams, meanwhile, moved on and off the Rams’ roster multiple times this year. He has totaled six appearances this season (five with San Diego) after playing in 14 games with the Chargers and intercepting two passes last year.
  • The Falcons worked out three tight ends – Orson Charles, Darion Griswold and Joel Ruiz – and defensive end Martin Ifedi, reports Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com (Twitter link). Griswold and Ifedi ended up signing with their practice squad.
  • The Dolphins also took a look at the aforementioned Tharold Simon, who joined fellow corner Demetrius McCray and two tight ends – Gabe Hughes and Chris Pantale – tweets Caplan.
  • Tight end Rob Housler showcased himself to the Colts, relays Caplan (Twitter link). The five-year veteran has 109 catches, nearly all of which (105) came with Arizona from 2011-14.
  • The Eagles auditioned wide receiver Greg Ellingson, cornerback Tay Glover-Wright and Canadian Football League punter Richie Leone, according to Caplan (Twitter links).
  • Defensive ends Rufus Johnson and Rakim Cox worked out for the Lions (Twitter links via Caplan and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
  • Linebackers Deon Lacey and Glenn Love tried out for the Cardinals, per Balzer (Twitter link).

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/19/16

December 19th, 2016 at 5:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s minor moves:

  • The 49ers announced that they’ve claimed linebacker Carl Bradford off waivers from the Packers. San Francisco placed LB Nick Bellore on injured reserve earlier today, so Bradford, who’s appeared in four games for Green Bay this season, will add depth in the Bay Area as the Niners close out the 2016 campaign. San Francisco also announced that it has signed veteran tight end Jim Dray, who began the season with Buffalo.
  • The Jets have signed linebacker Randell Johnson from the Rams‘ practice squad to their 53-man roster, clearing a roster spot by waiving fellow LB Arthur Brown, the club announced today. Brown, a former second-round pick, has now been cut for the third time this calendar year.
  • The Cardinals announced that they’ve promoted 2016 sixth-round cornerback Harlan Miller. In a related move, Arizona waived CB Tharold Simon. Simon had been claimed off waivers earlier this year, but managed only 76 snaps with the Cards.
  • The Dolphins signed linebacker Trevor Reilly off the Patriots‘ practice squad and waived fellow LB Zach Vigil, per a club announcement. Vigil, a undrafted rookie, spent the first portion of this season on the NFI list.
  • The Saints have signed wide receiver Corey Fuller off the Lions‘ practice squad, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Fuller appeared in 28 games with Detroit from 2014-15.
  • The Rams are promoting defensive back Isaiah Johnson to the active roster, reports Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. Johnson had been signed to Los Angeles’ 53-man earlier this season, as well. Johnson takes the roster spot of DB Marqui Christian, who is going to IR, per Gonzalez (link).
  • The Giants will promote defensive lineman Ishaq Williams to the active roster, according to Dan Duggan of NJ.com.

Jets Claim Arthur Brown

December 7th, 2016 at 5:04pm CST by Ben Levine

A day after he was waived by the Jaguars, Arthur Brown has landed on a new team. ESPN’s Adam Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the outside linebacker has been claimed by the Jets. To make room on the roster, the Jets waived/injured linebacker Julian Stanford (via Caplan).

Arthur Brown (Vertical)The 2013 second-round pick hasn’t done much during his four seasons in the league. In 46 career games, the 26-year-old has only compiled 20 tackles (including three this season), 0.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. Brown was waived by the Ravens in early September, and the Jaguars claimed him soon after.

As our own Dallas Robinson wrote yesterday, Brown’s recent production has solely come on special teams. The linebacker only saw six defensive snaps for the Jaguars this season, and he combined for only 10 defensive snaps during his final two seasons with the Ravens. Fortunately, Brown was on the field for 85-percent of the Jaguars’ special teams plays this season.

Stanford, an undrafted free agent in 2012, was having his best NFL season in 2016. In nine games (three starts), the linebacker compiled 22 tackles – one shy of tying his career-high. The 26-year-old bounced between the active roster and practice squad through the first month of the season, but he recently solidified a role on the defense. Stanford injured his ankle during the Jets’ loss to the Colts on Monday night.

Jaguars Waive LB Arthur Brown

December 6th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars announced today that they’ve waived linebacker Arthur Brown, while they’ve filled the open roster spot by promoting fellow linebacker Sean Porter from their practice squad.Arthur Brown (Vertical)

[RELATED: Jacksonville Jaguars Depth Chart]

Brown, a former second-round pick of the Ravens, has essentially been recast as a special teams player at this point in his career, as he’d fallen out of favor in Baltimore before being waived this summer, and hadn’t contributed on the defensive side of the ball for Jacksonville this season. The 26-year-old had only played on six defensive snaps for the Jags in 2016 (while seeing time on nearly 85% of the club’s ST plays), and had only been on the field for 10 total defensive snaps during his final two seasons with the Ravens.

Porter, 25, was also a relatively high draft choice (fourth round, Bengals, 2013), but has only played in one game thus far in his career. Waived by Cincinnati in November 2015, Porter has spent much of the time since on the Jaguars’ practice squad. He’ll likely fill a role similar to that of Brown, playing on special teams while serving as depth behind Telvin Smith, Paul Posluszny, Myles Jack, and Dan Skuta.

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC South

September 5th, 2016 at 9:20am CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC South teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Texans, Colts, Jaguars, and Titans are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC South transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day. All links go to Twitter unless otherwise noted:

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Ravens Get Roster To 53

September 3rd, 2016 at 3:38pm CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens have announced the moves that take their roster to 53:

Placed On IR:

Lewis-Moore, the Ravens’ sixth-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2013, had a tough beginning to his professional career, landing on IR in each of his first two seasons with the club. He finally made cracked the 53-man roster last year, appearing in five games for the Ravens. Baltimore has always liked his upside as a pass rusher, but he found himself squeezed out of a deep defensive line group this season.

Cutting Brooks was a bit of a surprise, as the former third-rounder was playing well early in the preseason. There was some optimism that Brooks would be able to leapfrog former first-rounder Matt Elam on the depth chart, but the 25-year-old was unable to carve out a role during his two years (plus preseason) on the team.

Zach Links contributed to this post

North Notes: McCown, Iloka, Vikes, Lions

August 11th, 2016 at 5:24pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Interestingly, the Browns’ decision to give Robert Griffin III all of their first-team reps in training camp before naming him their starting quarterback Tuesday was backup Josh McCown‘s idea, writes Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com.

“(McCown) was the guy that came to me and said, ‘Hey coach, make sure this guy gets all the reps he needs to be the best he can be,”’ said first-year Browns head coach Hue Jackson. “(He said) ‘you know who I am.’ Obviously he would love to have the job too, but I think he understands his role.”

That was an unselfish move by McCown, who was ostensibly going to compete for the No. 1 job with Griffin, the Browns’ most noteworthy offseason addition. The 37-year-old has instead served as a mentor to Griffin, 26, with Jackson saying,“A lot of him getting better has to do with Josh McCown.”

As a result of both his leadership and his status as a quality reserve, the Browns would like to retain McCown, notes Cabot, who points out that they rejected Dallas’ attempt to acquire him last week.

More from the NFL’s North-based divisions:

  • Before he re-signed with the Bengals for five years and $30MM in March, standout safety George Iloka considered accepting an offer from the Vikings, he said Wednesday (via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press). Joining the Vikings would’ve meant playing for head coach Mike Zimmer, whom Iloka worked under from 2012-13 when Zimmer was the Bengals’ defensive coordinator. “If I was going there, I was going because of Zim,” Iloka, 26, revealed. “I know what type of locker room he has there just by the type of coach he is. But I really wanted to come back. My chances of leaving Cincinnati weren’t too high, and I’m back.’’
  • The versatility of big-money offseason signing Marvin Jones, including his ability to cause damage downfield, could make him the Lions’ No. 1 receiver, says Kyle Meinke of MLive.com (video link). Whereas Golden Tate is at his best as a short- to medium-yardage option, quarterback Matthew Stafford has targeted Jones all over the field in training camp, per Meinke, who praises the 26-year-old’s route-running abilities. Fulfilling the role of a No. 1 wideout would be new for Jones, who played second fiddle to elite receiver AJ Green in Cincinnati from 2012-15. Still, Jones is fresh off a productive year (65 catches, 816 yards and four touchdowns), which led the Calvin Johnson-less Lions to award him a five-year, $40MM contract in free agency.
  • In an early projection of the Ravens’ 53-man roster, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun lists safety Matt Elam and inside linebacker Arthur Brown (the club’s first- and second-round picks from 2013) as players on track to miss the cut. Elam could lose his spot to Terrence Brooks, who has impressed in training camp, per Zrebiec. Notably, the Ravens declined Elam’s fifth-year option for 2017 earlier this offseason, which came after he struggled in 2014 and then missed the 2015 campaign because of a biceps tear. Releasing Elam, who also has a suspension in his past, would save Baltimore $1.33MM. The club would free up less than $900K by parting with Brown, who has amassed just 17 tackles and a half-sack in 34 games (zero starts).
  • In case you missed it, scouting guru Dave-Te Thomas ran down which Bears rookies could make impacts this year.
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