Brian Poole - Pro Football Rumors

After getting cut by the Patriots last week, Brian Poole is now looking for his next gig. Per Aaron Wilson (on Twitter), the veteran cornerback auditioned for the Raiders today. The team also worked out defensive linemen Braxton Hoyett, P.J. Johnson, and Daniel McCullers.

The Saints reached an injury settlement with Poole earlier this month, cutting him from their injured reserve. He later joined New England’s practice squad with the expectation that he’d get promoted to the active roster, but he didn’t see the field for the Patriots before receiving his walking papers.

The 29-year-old spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Jets, with Pro Football Focus grading Poole as a top-12 corner during those two campaigns. Prior to his Jets run, Poole spent three seasons with the Falcons. Now, he’s looking to join a Raiders depth chart that’s led by Casey Hayward, Brandon Facyson, Nate Hobbs, and Amik Robertson.

McCullers has 76 games of experience after being selected in the sixth round of the 2014 draft. He got into 73 of those games with the Steelers between 2014 and 2019, but he was limited to only three games with the Bears in 2020. The 29-year-old has remained unsigned throughout the 2021 campaign. Johnson, a 2019 seventh-round pick, and Hoyette, a former undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State, have combined for one career appearance.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/9/21

November 9th, 2021 at 8:40pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s practice squad transactions:

Arizona Cardinals

Signed: TE Alex Ellis

Cleveland Browns

Signed: RB Brian Hill, CB Nate Meadors, WR Isaiah Zuber
Released: CB Tim Harris

Denver Broncos

Signed: OT Casey Tucker

Detroit Lions

Signed: TE Nick Eubanks, WR Travis Jonsen

Houston Texans

Signed: DE Demone Harris

Kansas City Chiefs

Signed: C Darryl Williams

Miami Dolphins

Signed: C Evan Boehm

Minnesota Vikings

Signed: DT T.Y. McGill

New England Patriots

Released: CB Brian Poole

Philadelphia Eagles

Signed: DB Craig James

Pittsburgh Steelers

Released: K Josh Lambo

Patriots To Sign CB Brian Poole

October 27th, 2021 at 12:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

A week after working out Brian Poole, the Patriots are signing the veteran cornerback. The sides agreed on a practice squad deal Wednesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Despite the practice squad agreement, this could be an impactful deal for the Pats. New England just lost longtime slot corner Jonathan Jones for the season with a shoulder injury and lacks a proven cog for the role behind him. Poole, 29, certainly brings considerable experience here.

The Saints reached an injury settlement with Poole earlier this month, cutting him from their injured reserve. Poole, however, spent the past two seasons in the AFC East. In the two Jets seasons, Pro Football Focus graded Poole as a top-12 corner. Prior to his Jets run, Poole spent three seasons with the Falcons.

The Patriots traded for potential slot corner Shaun Wade late this summer but have yet to see the Ohio State product debut. Wade sustained a concussion that has kept him out. New England has also not seen much from 2019 second-round pick Joejuan Williams. J.C. Jackson and Jalen Mills reside as the Pats’ top two corners going into Week 8.

Patriots Audition Brian Poole

October 20th, 2021 at 11:40am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots will audition veteran cornerback Brian Poole today, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com).

Poole signed with the Saints in July but later went on IR. The Saints cut him earlier this month and he has yet to play in 2021.

The Florida product joined the Falcons as a UDFA in 2016 and served as the club’s primary nickel corner over his three seasons. The Falcons opted not to tender him as a restricted free agent following the 2018 season, a year in which Pro Football Focus ranked him as just the No. 81 CB in the NFL out of 110 qualified players. He also ranked as bottom-three corner in success rate, per Football Outsiders’ charting data.

However, he bounced back over the last two years with the Jets. Operating primarily as a slot defender, Poole allowed a 71.6 passer rating in 2019 and a 64.7 rating in 2020. PFF gave him strong coverage grades in both seasons.

If signed, Poole would join a Pats group that currently includes J.C. Jackson, Jalen Mills, and Jonathan Jones, Shaun Wade, and Joejuan Williams.

Saints Release CB Desmond Trufant, Others

October 12th, 2021 at 9:03pm CST by Ben Levine

The Saints cleared a handful of roster spots today, letting go of three veterans. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that the Saints released kicker Cody Parkey, defensive back Brian Poole, and cornerback Desmond Trufant.

Parkey had a brief stint as the Saints starting kicker before suffering a groin injury that landed him on IR earlier today. Ultimately, the veteran was released with an injury settlement, allowing him to sign elsewhere (instead of being sidelined for three weeks before inevitably getting released). During New Orleans’ win over Washington the other day, Parkey didn’t attempt a field goal while converting three of his five extra point tries.

The kicker will be replaced by kicker Brian Johnson, who was signed off the Bears practice squad today. The Saints will continue to rotate through options at the position as they await Wil Lutz‘s return.

Trufant, a Pro Bowler during his time with the Falcons, joined the Saints in early September. He saw time in only two games for the Saints, collecting three tackles. The veteran hadn’t seen the field since Week 2, and he was pushed down the depth chart following the Bradley Roby acquisition. Now, the 31-year-old will have an opportunity to find work elsewhere.

Poole landed on injured reserve prior to the season, which meant he wasn’t going to see the field for New Orleans during the 2021 campaign. Like Parkey, he’ll be released with an injury settlement, allowing him to immediately find work elsewhere. Poole started 17 games for the Jets between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, collecting 103 tackles and three interceptions.

Besides the addition of Johnson, the Saints used one of their open roster spots to sign defensive tackle Christian Ringo.

Saints Place CB Brian Poole On IR

August 24th, 2021 at 5:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Veteran cornerbacks continue to cycle off the Saints’ roster. They placed Brian Poole on injured reserve Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 tweets. Poole is now ineligible to play for New Orleans this season.

The Saints signed Poole just before training camp started. While the former Falcons and Jets slot corner could play for a non-Saints team in 2021, he would need an injury settlement to do so. Either way, more cornerback issues have surfaced for the Saints, who are looking at outside options.

While the Saints gave Poole barely veteran-minimum money and guaranteed him just $137K on a one-year deal, this strips another proven corner from their roster. Poole, 28, was one of the league’s top slot defenders over the last two years, representing one of the Jets’ few bright spots in that span. Pro Football Focus graded the former Falcons UDFA as a top-12 corner in 2019 and ’20.

New Orleans made Janoris Jenkins a cap casualty before free agency and has since seen Marshon Lattimore venture onto the suspension radar — for a March arrest — and prospective starter Patrick Robinson retire. The Saints also cut Prince Amukamara recently. They still have the likes of P.J. Williams, Ken Crawley and third-round rookie Paulson Adebo on the roster. But an outside addition should be expected soon.

Additionally, the Saints placed defensive tackle Jalen Dalton and offensive lineman Ethan Greenidge on IR, per Wilson. They also waived punter Nolan Cooney and waived defensive end Marcus Willoughby with an injury designation.

Saints To Sign Brian Poole

July 25th, 2021 at 8:38am CST by Rory Parks

The Saints are adding a veteran cornerback to their roster. No, it’s not Richard Sherman or Xavien Howard, but it’s still a player who should be expected to make a significant impact. According to veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, New Orleans will sign Brian Poole to a one-year deal tomorrow (Twitter link).

Poole signed with the division-rival Falcons as a UDFA in 2016, and despite his undrafted status, he served as the club’s primary nickel corner over his three seasons in Atlanta. The Falcons opted not to tender him as a restricted free agent following the 2018 campaign, and the fact that Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics graded him as the No. 81 cornerback in the NFL out of 110 qualified players that season justified the decision. He also ranked as bottom-three corner in success rate, per Football Outsiders’ charting data.

But the Florida product hooked on with the Jets shortly after being non-tendered by the Falcons, and he elevated his game with Gang Green. Operating primarily as a slot defender, just as he did in Atlanta, Poole allowed a 71.6 passer rating in 2019 and a 64.7 rating in 2020. PFF gave him strong coverage grades in both seasons.

The thought has been that the Saints would be looking for an outside corner to line up opposite Marshon Lattimore and to serve as a replacement for cap casualty Janoris Jenkins, but as Poole’s experience has mostly been at nickel, he does not fill that void. If New Orleans does not make any other additions, perhaps Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, who has generally played well in the slot, will be added to the mix for the team’s CB2 role.

Poole’s 2020 season was cut short due to shoulder and knee injuries. Given that, and in light of his extended stay on the open market — this is the first reported interest in him this offseason — his contract with the Saints is almost certainly light on guaranteed dollars. He does have some chops, though, so a strong showing in 2021 may lead to a lucrative multi-year pact.

Jets Notes: Mosley, Draft Plans, Hoyer

April 25th, 2021 at 11:49am CST by Rory Parks

The Jets reportedly received trade calls on linebacker C.J. Mosley this offseason, and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com says Mosley remains a trade candidate. As Randy Lange of the team’s official website writes, new head coach Robert Saleh recently offered high praise for Mosley, calling him a tremendous leader and player. Saleh also said Mosley is good enough to thrive in any system, including the 4-3 scheme that Saleh plans to implement (Mosley has not played in a 4-3 since he turned pro).

But New York did sign Jarrad Davis in free agency, and the team has been speculatively linked to high-end linebackers in the draft, like Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. If GM Joe Douglas does select an LB with a Day 1 or Day 2 choice, that could make a Mosley trade more likely (though obviously the return on such a trade would be minimal given Mosley’s contract and the fact that he has played all of two games in the last two years).

Now for more notes on the Jets:

Although Gang Green is going to select QB Zach Wilson with the No. 2 overall pick, there is plenty of uncertainty as to what the club will do with the No. 23 overall selection. Cimini believes the team will ultimately go with a player to help Wilson, whether that’s an offensive lineman or a wide receiver. If that’s how Douglas is leaning, he might need to trade up to get the prospect he wants, and Connor Hughes of The Athletic tweets that Douglas has already done the “groundwork” on a potential move up the board.
Cornerback also profiles as a major need for the Jets, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them use the No. 23 pick or another early selection on a CB. According to Cimini, the club is intrigued by Syracuse corner Ifeatu Melifonwu, who looks like a second- or third-round talent. If the team doesn’t get a slot corner at some point in the draft, Hughes says the team could look to re-sign Brian Poole, whose 2020 season was cut short by injury but who has played well in his two seasons in the Meadowlands.
If the Jets don’t go with an offensive lineman with their second first-round choice, Hughes expects them to grab one with the No. 34 pick, and he also thinks they could pick up another blocker with one of their two third-round selections.
New York brought in veteran QB Brian Hoyer for a visit earlier this month, and he looks like an ideal backup/mentor for Wilson. Hughes reports that the team is likely to commence contract talks with the 35-year-old signal-caller after the draft.