Albert Wilson

Veteran WR Albert Wilson Retires

NFL wide receiver Albert Wilson went undrafted out of Georgia State in 2014 despite setting multiple records for the Panthers. He signed with the Chiefs and ended up making the team’s 53-man roster as a rookie. 10 years later, Wilson has put together a solid career and has now decided to hang up his cleats, according to the 31-year-old’s Instagram.

In that rookie season, Wilson appeared in 12 games making two starts. The undrafted rookie finished behind only Dwayne Bowe in receptions (16) and yards (260) in a receivers room that caught no touchdowns from Alex Smith; all his touchdowns went to tight ends Travis Kelce and Anthony Fasano, running backs Jamaal Charles, Joe McKnight, and Knile Davis, and full back Anthony Sherman.

In subsequent years, Wilson remained the WR2 for Smith, playing second fiddle to Jeremy Maclin in 2015 and Tyreek Hill in 2017. Those were Wilson’s best statistical seasons, seeing him catch for 451 yards and two touchdowns in 2015 and 554 yards and three touchdowns in 2017.

His impressive work as a No. 2 receiver earned him a three-year contract with the Dolphins. Receiving in Miami from Ryan Tannehill, Brock Osweiler, and Josh Rosen, Wilson found himself as a contributor on some disappointing offenses. When his contract expired, Wilson signed in the 2022 offseason with the Vikings before getting cut two months later. The Raiders signed Wilson to their practice squad in October later that season. He flirted with the active roster but never got to make a game appearance with Las Vegas.

Overall, in his career, Wilson appeared in 89 total games making 38 starts. He recorded 218 receptions for 2,499 yards and 12 touchdowns, adding on a score on the ground and even a passing touchdown. Wilson won’t be finding his way into the Hall of Fame, but for an undrafted player out of Georgia State, he made the most of his opportunities and put together a strong career.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/28/22

Today’s practice squad moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Chicago Bears

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/23/22

Here are today’s practice squad transactions:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Denver Broncos

Las Vegas Raiders

Philadelphia Eagles

Tennessee Titans

Raiders Activate CB Anthony Averett, Waive WR Albert Wilson

The Raiders’ underwhelming pass defense has received a boost. Per a team announcement, cornerback Anthony Averett has been activated from IR.

[RELATED: Raiders Place Nate Hobbs On IR]

It was unknown during the week if Averett would be able to return in time for Vegas’ Week 7 contest, as he was designated to return just three days ago. The 27-year-old suffered a broken thumb in the season opener, essentially delaying his debut with the team for one month.

A fourth-round pick of the Ravens in 2018, Averett took on a larger workload with each passing season in Baltimore. His first year as a full-time starter was 2022, as he filled in for the injured Marcus Peters. Logging 808 snaps – by far a career-high – the Alabama alum notched 54 tackles, three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. That earned him a one-year, $4MM contract in free agency.

Especially with fellow corner Nate Hobbs being sidelined for at least one month, Averett will immediately step into a large role in the Raiders’ secondary. He is likely to start opposite Rock Ya-Sin, another notable addition from the offseason, one in which the team made several moves at the position. A continuation of his 2022 form from Averett would be a welcomed sight, as Vegas currently ranks 23rd in passing yards allowed per game (256).

Albert Wilson, meanwhile, has been waived; he signed earlier this month, but initially joined the practice squad in doing so and had yet to make an appearance for the Raiders. The veteran suffered the same fate in the offseason with the Vikings, so he will now look to find a third home in 2022 following his three-year Dolphins stint. The team also confirmed on Saturday that undrafted wideout DJ Turner has been activated from IR; he played exclusively on special teams in his debut during Week 1 and will once again add depth to the Raiders’ WR corps.

Minor NFL Transactions: 10/11/22

Today’s minor NFL transactions:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Raiders To Sign WR Albert Wilson

Several weeks after his Vikings release, Albert Wilson has secured a deal elsewhere. The Raiders reached an agreement with the veteran wide receiver Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. It is a practice squad deal, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.

The Vikings signed Wilson midway through the offseason but did not see enough from the seven-year veteran to reserve a 53-man roster spot for him. The 5-foot-9 pass catcher will attempt to catch on as a backup in Las Vegas.

The Raiders will be Wilson’s fourth team. He broke through as a supporting-caster for the Alex Smith-era Chiefs and parlayed that production into a nice free agency payday with the Dolphins, who gave him a three-year, $24MM deal in 2018. That contract was set to expire after the 2020 season, but when Wilson opted out of that campaign due to COVID-19 concerns, the deal tolled to 2021. Miami did not opt to bring Wilson back this year, leading him to Minnesota.

Wilson, 30, topped 450 receiving yards in two of his Chiefs seasons, and he scored four touchdowns during Ryan Tannehill‘s final Dolphins slate (2018). Wilson reached that total despite missing nine games that season, however, and did not produce much after coming back from his opt-out year. The Georgia State alum caught 25 passes for 213 yards in 2021.

Las Vegas has a firmly established passing-game hierarchy, one fronted by Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow. The team has, however, seen surprising production from ex-Wilson Dolphins teammate Mack Hollins, who topped 150 yards in the Raiders’ Week 3 loss in Tennessee. Vegas, which cut ex-Wilson Chiefs teammate Demarcus Robinson after signing him this offseason, has Keelan Cole and Tyron Johnson on its 53-man roster as backups.

Vikings Release WR Albert Wilson

Teams have until Tuesday to trim their rosters from 85 to 80 players. The Vikings included veteran wide receiver Albert Wilson in their second wave of cuts.

Minnesota added Wilson in late May, signing the former Kansas City and Miami pass catcher as a possible depth option. Nearly three months later, the partnership appears complete. The Vikings also waived defensive lineman Jullian Taylor with an injury designation.

Wilson, 30, returned to football in 2021 after making the decision to opt out in 2020. Working as a Dolphins part-time starter, the former UDFA caught 25 passes for a career-low 213 yards. More productive during his run with the pre-Patrick Mahomes-era Chiefs and in his early Dolphins years, after signing a three-year deal worth $24MM with Miami in 2018, Wilson has logged seven seasons as an NFL wideout.

The Vikings did not guarantee Wilson anything to sign, giving him a one-year deal worth $1.12MM. The team has K.J. Osborn in place as its top complement to Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen, while the likes of Bisi Johnson and recent Day 3 picks Jalen Nailor (sixth round, 2022) and Ihmir Smith-Marsette (Round 5, 2021) complicating Wilson’s active-roster path.

Because Wilson is a vested veteran, he will bypass waivers and move back into free agency. Despite coming into the league in 2018, Taylor does not have sufficient service time. He will revert to the Vikings’ IR (in a transaction that could well preceded an injury settlement) if unclaimed. A former seventh-round 49ers pick, Taylor has not played since the 2019 season.

Vikings To Sign WR Albert Wilson

Another free agent wideout has found a new home. The Vikings are signing Albert Wilson to a one-year deal, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press adds (via Twitter) that the contract is worth the veteran minimum of $1.12MM.

[RELATED: Vikings Work Out WR Westbrook]

Wilson, who will be 30 when the season begins, started his career with the Chiefs in 2014. His last season in Kansas City was his best, as he posted 554 yards and three touchdowns on 42 receptions. A notable contributor on the team’s offense (especially in 2015 and 2017), he started 26 of 55 contests there, which earned him a sizeable deal on the open market.

The Georgia State alum signed a three-year, $24MM contract with the Dolphins in 2018. He ended up playing roughly half of the team’s offensive snaps during his first two years in Miami, however; while he did make a career-high 43 catches in 2019, he failed to match the yardage totals from his best campaigns in Kansas City. Wilson did finish out his contract (one year later than originally intended, as he opted out in 2020) despite uncertainty that he would remain on the roster heading into last season. Playing 14 games, he had his worst statistical output since his rookie year.

In Minnesota, Wilson will join a WR room which is headlined by Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. The team also has K.J. Osborn, who went from zero targets as a rookie to 50 receptions and seven touchdowns last season. Wilson will likely slot in behind him for rotational snaps, rounding out a depth chart also featuring recent Day 3 selections Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Jalen Nailor. Taking a (presumably) healthy tight end Irv Smith Jr. into account, the Vikings already featured sufficient pass-catching options, but this addition will provide them with an experienced role player capable of contributing on offense.

NFL COVID-19 List Updates: 12/31/21

Here are the New Year’s Eve additions and subtractions from teams’ reserve/COVID-19 lists:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

  • Activated from practice squad virus list: T Drew Himmelman, LB Barrington Wade

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

NFL COVID List Updates: 12/25-12/26/21

We’ve compiled a list of players who were placed on or activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Christmas and today. In some instances, players activated from the list remain on IR:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Placed on practice squad/COVID-19 list: WR Steven Sims

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team