Andre Roberts

Falcons To Sign WR Andre Roberts

March 14th, 2017 at 7:54am CST by Zachary Links

The Falcons signed wide receiver Andre Roberts, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He gets a one-year deal worth $1.8MM with $750K guaranteed.

Roberts had a disappointing first season in Detroit, but the Lions were still among the teams in the mix to sign him this month. The Patriots also were said to have interest.

The 29-year-old’s best season came back in 2012 with the Cardinals, when he finished with 64 receptions for 759 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately for him, the emergence of Michael Floyd bumped him down the pecking order in Arizona, leading him to join up with the Redskins in 2013. His two years in D.C. and one year in Detroit have not yielded 2012-type numbers. In 2016, Roberts finished out with 14 receptions for 188 yards and one touchdown.

Roberts now figures to be the Falcons’ No. 3 WR behind Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu. Justin Hardy, Devin Fuller, and Nick Williams are also under contract. Receivers Taylor Gabriel and Eric Weems remain in free agent limbo while Aldrick Robinson has followed coach Kyle Shanahan to San Francisco.

Three Teams Interested In WR Andre Roberts

March 9th, 2017 at 5:17pm CST by Ben Levine

Wideout Andre Roberts has drawn interest from several teams, according to ESPN’s Dianna Russini (on Twitter). The Patriots, Falcons, and Lions are among the teams eyeing the free agent receiver.

Roberts had a disappointing first season in Detroit, finishing with only 14 receptions for 188 yards and one touchdown. The 29-year-old’s best season came back in 2012 with the Cardinals, when he finished with 64 receptions for 759 yards and five touchdowns. The wideout also has nine career carries for 77 yards.

Roberts would presumably slide in as the Patriots’ fifth wideout, or he could potentially replace Danny Amendola in the lineup. He’d be competing with Devin Fuller and Nick Williams for snaps in Atlanta, while Detroit would presumably continue to use him behind Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, and T.J. Jones.

Lions Notes: Roberts, Boldin, Bostic

June 20th, 2016 at 9:12am CST by Zachary Links

The door is open for Lions wide receiver Andre Roberts to earn a spot with the team, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. As the Lions’ page on Roster Resource shows, Golden Tate and Marvin Jones stand as the team’s top receivers with Jeremy Kerley, T.J. Jones, and Boldin vying for the No. 3 job. However, Kerley missed part of OTAs with an injury and Corey Fuller is out indefinitely following foot surgery, so Roberts definitely has an opening. Shortly after signing with the team, Roberts said the Lions told him they plan to use him as both a slot and outside receiver, and he could also compete for the punt return job.

The 28-year-old didn’t get a chance to shine with the Redskins, but now he could carve out a great opportunity for himself. In addition to Roberts, could we see another notable receiver join the Lions? Here’s today’s look at Detroit:

The Lions could still bring in a veteran and Anquan Boldin is a guy to pay attention to, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com writes. The Lions hosted Boldin on a visit last week on the same day that they signed Roberts to a deal, but it sounds like the team is still very much considering him. The Lions could comfortably go into the season with their current group of receivers, but Boldin would give Detroit another experienced option with a long history of high-end production. Boldin, 35, has reportedly been working out in South Florida and staying in shape as he waits for the right opportunity.
In a separate piece, Rothstein sees the Lions only keeping five linebackers which would mean that that recent trade acquisition Jon Bostic wouldn’t make the team. The team could roll into 2016 with DeAndre Levy, Tahir Whitehead, Josh Bynes, Antwione Williams, and Kyle Van Noy as the complete group, but Bostic and Zaviar Gooden are working to change the minds of coaches. The former second-round pick was traded from the Patriots to the Lions in May in exchange for conditional 2017 seventh-round selection.
Late last week, the Lions added tight end Orson Charles.

Lions Sign Andre Roberts

June 13th, 2016 at 8:50am CST by Zachary Links

The Lions have agreed to sign wide receiver Andre Roberts, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known.

The 28-year-old visited the Lions and Saints in the past week, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. He also visited the Bills last month, though his other stops did not result in any deals. The Lions, Caplan tweets, see Roberts as a player with the ability to play both slot and outside in their offense. He’s also capable of returning punts and kicks. The Lions are looking to build depth at wide receiver after Corey Fuller suffered a broken foot.

Roberts has been on the open market ever since he was released by the Redskins back in May. The wide receiver arrived in Washington when he inked four-year, $16MM contract with Washington in 2014 with the expectation that he would serve as the team’s No. 2 receiver next to Pierre Garcon. Soon after, however, DeSean Jackson unexpectedly became available and Washington swooped in to make him a focal point of their offense. Upon being relegated to the No. 3 WR role, Roberts expressed frustration, but his slide did not stop there.

Last season, Roberts appeared in 9 games (zero starts) and caught a career-low 11 passes for 135 yards. Roberts first made a name for himself in 2012 when he stepped out of Larry Fitzgerald‘s shadow in Arizona to haul in 64 catches for 759 yards and five touchdowns. In every year since, he has seen his targets, receptions, and yards decline.

Interestingly, news of a deal between the Lions and Roberts comes on the heels of Anquan Boldin visiting the team. It’s not immediately clear whether Boldin still fits into the equation for Detroit. If so, there could be a notable name or two displaced.

Recently, PFR’s own Dallas Robinson identified the Lions as a possible fit for Roberts.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Finding A Landing Spot For Andre Roberts

May 20th, 2016 at 9:14pm CST by Dallas Robinson

It didn’t take long for receiver Andre Roberts to generate interest after being released by the Redskins, as he took a visit with the Bills just two days after being cut loose by Washington. Roberts, whom PFR ranked as the fifth-best offensive free agent left on the board, has two more meetings planned with unknown clubs, and an additional five or six clubs are also thought to be eyeing Roberts, according to the latest reports.

Roberts, who turned 28 in January, is probably best served as a slot receiver, though he can also play on the outside if needed. Last season, Roberts appeared in nine games (zero starts) and caught a career-low 11 passes for 135 yards, but he does have a history of production in the not-so-distant future. Roberts first made a name for himself in 2012 when he stepped out of Larry Fitzgerald‘s shadow in Arizona to haul in 64 catches for 759 yards and five touchdowns.

Let’s take a look around the league and find some potential fits for Roberts…

Atlanta Falcons — The Falcons spent a decent chunk of change on the wide receiver position this offseason, signing former Bengal Mohamed Sanu to a five-year, $32.5MM deal that included $14MM guaranteed. But Atlanta could certainly use one more veteran receiver, especially one who is relatively versatile like Roberts. Sanu is capable of playing the slot or outside, so offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan could use both he and Roberts in several different positions. With Devin Hester on the mend, Roberts would act as insurance in case second-year pass-catcher Justin Hardy isn’t ready.

Buffalo Bills — As noted above, the Bills clearly have legitimate interest in Roberts, as they were the first team to have him in for a visit. Joe Buscaglia of WBKW looked at various position battles in Buffalo earlier tonight, and noted that Sammy Watkins and Robert Woods are the only real locks at receiver. The rest of the Bills’ receiving group is made up of low-level options or young players with no NFL production, such as Greg Salas, Leonard Hankerson, Marquise Goodwin, Greg Little, and Kolby Listenbee. Roberts would fit nicely in the slot for Buffalo, and could help outside if Watkins’ foot injury becomes more serious.

Cincinnati Bengals — On paper, the Bengals’ receiving corps looks a lot better than it did after they lost Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones earlier this offseason. Free agent signee Brandon LaFell and rookie Tyler Boyd are set to start in three-wide sets opposite A.J. Green, while Brandon Tate and James Wright are penciled in as the club’s depth options. Cincinnati is well-known to prefer veterans in key roles over young players, however, so depending on how the Bengals feel about Boyd’s immediate readiness, Roberts could make some sense.

Denver Broncos — Jordan Norwood was a known favorite of Peyton Manning last year, and was able to produce 22 receptions in 11 games. Roberts would be an improvement in the slot, and he’s actually younger (by almost two years) than Norwood. Denver is obviously set with Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders on the outside, but adding Roberts could be a boon to an offense that figures to be lead by one of Mark Sanchez or Paxton Lynch.

Detroit Lions — Even after signing Marvin Jones to a five-year, $40MM deal in March, the Lions could still use more help at receiver following the retirement of Calvin Johnson. On the inside, two free agent signees — Jeremy Kerley and Andre Caldwell — figure to compete for playing time, but Roberts looks to be a superior option to either of them. Although touches could be hard to come by in Detroit, especially if tight end Eric Ebron sees more targets, Roberts would make for a solid No. 3 in the Motor City.

Oakland Raiders — The Raiders’ offense soared in 2015, as sophomore quarterback Derek Carr broke out, teaming with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree to form a fearsome unit. And while Oakland failed to add legitimate competition for running back Latavius Murray this offseason, it could still stand to improve on Seth Roberts, who is projected to see the majority time of the slot. The Raiders also re-signed pass-catcher Andre Holmes this spring, but adding in another veteran like Roberts could be a nice way to fill out an already daunting offense.

San Francisco 49ers — The 49ers have the second-most cap space in the league at the moment, so we know that they could afford Roberts if they’re interested. And they should be, if they have any hopes of sniffing a .500 record in 2016. San Francisco’s depth chart behind Torrey Smith is extremely thin, with DeAndre Smelter, Quinton Patton, Jerome Simpson, Bruce Ellington, and rookie Aaron Burbridge filling in the gaps. The 49ers aren’t likely to contend next year, so adding a complementary receiver may seem like an unnecessary move, but Roberts would help San Francisco creep towards respectability.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Tampa is hoping that second-year receiver Kenny Bell can serve as its No. 3 option behind Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, as Jenna Laine reported last week (Twitter link). But is new head coach Dirk Koetter ready to rely on an unproven asset as his club tries to improve upon its 2015 DVOA ranking of 17th? Veteran Louis Murphy is another incumbent option for the Buccaneers, but Roberts could help Tampa Bay take the next step as it tries to challenge for a playoff berth.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bills Hosting Andre Roberts On Visit

May 19th, 2016 at 9:13am CST by Zachary Links

The Bills are hosting Andre Roberts on a visit tonight and tomorrow, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). Tentatively, the free agent wide receiver has two more visits scheduled after that. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that besides Buffalo “five or six” other teams are also interested in having visits with him.

Roberts was released by Washington on Wednesday but it sounds like he might not be out of work for long.

The veteran inked four-year, $16MM contract with Washington in 2014 with the expectation that he would serve as the team’s No. 2 receiver next to Pierre Garcon. Soon after, however, DeSean Jackson unexpectedly became available and Washington swooped in to make him a focal point of their offense. Upon being relegated to the No. 3 WR role, Roberts expressed frustration, but his slide did not stop there.

With a history of production plus some acumen in the return game, Roberts should draw interest from teams looking to round out their group of receivers. Still, the 28-year-old will probably less than the $4MM base salary he was scheduled to earn in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Washington Releases Andre Roberts

May 17th, 2016 at 4:40pm CST by Zachary Links

4:40pm: Washington elected against using a post-June 1 designation on Roberts’ release, meaning the club will save $3MM in cap room, tweets Master Tesfatsion of The Washington Post.

8:10am: Washington tried to trade Roberts, but no one was interested in taking him on at his contracted price, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.

8:06am: Washington has released wide receiver Andre Roberts, according to a source who spoke with Mike Jones of The Washington Post. By cutting Roberts, the team will save $4MM against the cap, provided that Roberts is cut with a post-June 1 designation.

Roberts’ release does not come as a huge surprise following the selection of wide receiver Josh Doctson in the first-round. Now, Washington is set to trot out a wide receiver depth chart which includes DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Doctson and Jamison Crowder. Last season, Crowder leapfrogged Roberts on the depth chart and it seems likely that he would have done the same this year. The team also has wide receivers Ryan Grant and Rashad Ross on the roster.

Roberts inked four-year, $16MM contract with Washington in 2014 with the expectation that he would serve as the team’s No. 2 receiver next to Pierre Garcon. Soon after, however, DeSean Jackson unexpectedly became available and Washington swooped in to make him a focal point of their offense. Upon being relegated to the No. 3 WR role, Roberts expressed frustration, but his slide did not stop there.

With a history of production plus some acumen in the return game, Roberts should draw interest from teams looking to round out their group of receivers. Of course, the 28-year-old will command a lot less than the $4MM base salary he was scheduled to earn in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sunday Roundup: Kaep, Bradford, Washington

May 1st, 2016 at 12:50pm CST by Rory Parks

Afters weeks of anxious buildup, the 2016 NFL draft is now over, but we’ll still be discussing the fallout from the draft years down the line. Let’s take a look at some of that fallout right now, along with a couple of other notes:

The draft has come and gone, and Colin Kaepernick is still a 49er. As Eric Branch of The San Francisco Chronicle writes, the 49ers‘ actions during the draft–i.e. waiting until the sixth round to pick up raw signal-caller Jeff Driskel, instead of drafting a more pro-ready prospect in the early rounds as many pundits anticipated–suggest that one of Kaepernick or Blaine Gabbert will be the team’s starter in 2016. And, since Kaepernick’s most likely suitors drafted quarterbacks of their own, it looks like we can finally put the Kaepernick rumors on ice for a little while.
We learned last night that the Eagles have not had any contact with Sam Bradford since Bradford requested a trade, and head coach Doug Pederson–who is installing a new offense that projected backup quarterback Chase Daniel is very familiar with–admitted that Bradford is losing valuable time, as Kevin Patra of NFL.com writes. Philadelphia continues to insist that Bradford is the starter, but that could change if he misses significant offseason time. When Pederson was asked at what point Bradford loses the role of presumptive starter, Pederson said, “I think it depends on when he does come back and how fast we can catch him up and put him in that situation and see where he’s at, at that time.”
Washington was widely lauded for its selection of TCU wideout Josh Doctson in the first round of the draft, but, as anticipated, his arrival probably means the end of Andre Roberts‘ tenure in the nation’s capital, as Mike Jones of The Washington Post writes. Likewise, Jones writes that the addition of Virginia Tech corner Kendall Fuller could allow the team to release Chris Culliver, whose health status is still uncertain after his ACL surgery and who is due an $8MM salary–with a $9.25MM cap number–in 2016.
During his post-draft press conference Saturday night, Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie declined to tip his hand as to whether the club will pick up D.J. Hayden‘s fifth-year option, but as Jimmy Durkin of The Bay Area News Group points out, the team will almost certainly decline the $8.03MM option, thereby allowing Hayden to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2016 season. Durkin admits it was somewhat surprising that Oakland did not draft a corner over the past couple of days, as the Raiders are still thin at the position even after signing Sean Smith. The Raiders’ approach suggests that they expect Hayden to provide quality depth as a fourth corner, but he will have to prove himself in a big way in 2016 to remain with the club (and to remain in the league, for that matter).
Most GMs like to say that they do not reach for need during the draft and that they will select the best player available, regardless of position. As Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk writes, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman admitted last night that he adapted his strategy to make sure the team could adequately fill out its defensive back depth chart after the Josh Norman saga that ended when Norman signed with Washington. To that end, Carolina drafted three corners–James Bradberry, Daryl Worley, and Zack Sanchez–that looked like reaches to many fans. Gettleman insisted, though, that he did not reach, but he had to focus on corners to prevent a “position disaster.”
Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times expected the Buccaneers to draft one defensive end and one tackle, and while Tampa Bay did draft a DE (Noah Spence), the team did not grab a DT. As such, Auman expects the club to sign a DT before training camp opens (Twitter link).
Former Panthers offensive lineman Edmund Kugbila, whom Carolina selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft but who has yet to play a single professional snap due to various injuries, has been medically cleared to play and has several visits lined up, according to Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).

East Notes: Wilkerson, Pats, Giants

April 17th, 2016 at 9:25am CST by Rory Parks

We have known for some time that the Jets are looking to trade Muhammad Wilkerson, who is an immensely talented but also highly expensive and potentially movable asset. Wilkerson, who has not yet signed his franchise tender, is not expected to show up tomorrow for the start of New York’s voluntary offseason program, as we learned last night, and Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com does not expect him to sign the tender anytime soon.

But Cimini believes that the only way a Wilkerson trade makes sense is if the team is able to use him to land one of the top two quarterbacks in this year’s draft, Carson Wentz or Jared Goff. And now that the Rams have grabbed the No. 1 overall selection from the Titans, the only way that the Jets can assure of themselves of Wentz or Goff is if they swing a deal with the Browns, who hold the No. 2 overall pick. The Browns, who of course have a number of roster holes to fill and a good deal of cap space, may be willing to swap first-round picks with the Jets, while netting Wilkerson and a few more draft picks in the process, and then select a quarterback from the second-tier of this year’s class of signal-callers. The question, though, is whether Wilkerson would want to sign a long-term deal with the Browns, which is probably not the case, even though the Browns could meet his contractual demands.

This is just my speculation, but unless the Browns select a player other than Wentz or Goff with the No. 2 overall pick–assuming of course, that the Rams take one of the two with the No. 1 selection–then it’s hard to imagine the Jets moving Wilkerson. As Cimini writes, it does not make much sense for Gang Green to use Wilkerson as a trade chip to move up to select a player like Memphis QB Paxton Lynch, who may fall to the Jets anyway and who is not a considerably more promising prospect than, say, Michigan State’s Connor Cook.

Let’s take a look at a few more notes from the league’s east divisions:

As Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com writes, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has developed a “blind spot” for former Florida and current Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and his program, and Reiss believes Belichick needs to reevaluate his reliance on Meyer. Reiss observes that Chad Jackson, Jermaine Cunningham, Brandon Spikes, Aaron Hernandez, and now Dominique Easley have all produced poor results considering their draft position, and all were products of Meyer’s program.
Paul Schwartz of The New York Post examines what the Giants might do to address their back seven in this month’s draft, and he writes that the team would “definitely” select a corner with the No. 10 overall selection, particularly if Vernon Hargreaves III is still available–which become a little more likely after the Rams-Titans blockbuster trade–but that the No. 10 pick is a little too high for Eli Apple or Mackensie Alexander. Schwartz believes it is also too high for the only inside linebacker that could reasonably be considered at that spot, Alabama’s Reggie Ragland. The team seems content to go into 2016 with a youngster at free safety to pair with Landon Collins, and while Jalen Ramsey will be long gone by the time the Giants are on the board, there are a number of worthwhile Day 2 and Day 3 targets that could step in and compete with New York’s current crop of safeties. Schwartz names Karl Joseph, Justin Simmons, and Keanu Neal as a few possibilities.
Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com reports that Washington is likely to release Andre Roberts and perhaps Adam Hayward at some point in the near future, which would give the club enough cap room to sign its draft picks and still have about $5MM to roll over into next year (unless Jordan Reed gets a contract extension).
In the same piece, Tandler also observes that Noah Spence, who visited Washington last week, may be a perfect fit for the team’s No. 21 overall selection. Spence has some off-field red flags, but he is arguably the best pure pass rusher in this year’s draft, and given Junior Galette‘s potential departure at the end of the 2016 season, Spence could make a great deal of sense.

NFC Notes: Washington, Cowboys, Falcons, Rams

March 25th, 2016 at 8:01pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

With Alfred Morris having agreed to a deal with NFC East rival Dallas earlier this week, Washington is prepared to go forward with Matt Jones as its starting running back.

“That’s what we envision, yes,” said head coach Jay Gruden (link via Tarik El-Bashir of CSN Mid-Atlantic). “We like Matt. We think he’s a smart football player and he runs very, very hard. Now we just have to make sure the ball security is there [because] he can catch the ball out the backfield. He’s a very good solid football player that we have high hopes for.”

In his rookie year last season, Jones – a third-round pick from Florida – averaged just 3.4 yards per carry on 144 attempts (compared to Morris’ 3.7 and 202, respectively) and totaled as many fumbles (four) as touchdowns. Washington is expected to add a complement to Jones in either free agency or the draft, according to Gruden, who said the team is interested in re-signing the still-available Pierre Thomas.

Here’s more from the NFC:

Even with Morris in the fold, the Cowboys have a less-than-ideal running back situation, opines Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPN.com. The Cowboys will try a balanced attack to aid quarterback Tony Romo – who has gone 38-11 as a starter while throwing 30 times or fewer and 41-38 otherwise – but Taylor doesn’t expect a backfield trio of Morris, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar to fare particularly well. Thus, the team should use a second- or third-rounder on a running back and let the others compete for backup roles behind the rookie, Taylor believes.
The Falcons and free agent linebacker O’Brien Schofield are at “an impasse,” tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Schofield said earlier this month that he and the Falcons weren’t “seeing eye-to-eye on a contract,” and the club may have found a replacement for him Friday when it signed Courtney Upshaw. The Falcons have offered Schofield a deal, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, but the Upshaw signing could seal his fate in Atlanta. Schofield, 28, joined the Falcons last year and then made 30 tackles and two sacks in 16 appearances (11 starts) during the season. Upshaw has the greater track record of the pair, having started 29 more games (51 to 22) in two fewer seasons.
Remarkably, despite being shot in the head twice last November, the door hasn’t yet closed on Stedman Bailey‘s career. The Rams receiver “is currently in the evaluation process, seeking numerous opinions from neurologists and the like,” head coach Jeff Fisher said Wednesday (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). “Just to see if he can not only play, but continue with a rigorous physical rehab program that will put him in position to play.” Bailey has continued to stay involved with the team, as Thomas writes, with Fisher adding, “He’s been in the building. We’ve seen him. He’s doing well. He seems like the same old Sted, and he’s very lucky as we’ve all noted to be alive.”
Washington is undecided about the future of receiver Andre Roberts, reports John Keim of ESPN.com. Washington stands to save a solid amount if it cuts Roberts ($3MM before June 1, $4MM if he’s given a post-June 1 designation), but the team isn’t allowed to release him right now because he’s recovering from a torn meniscus. Roberts might not be ready until training camp, per Gruden. Even without his health taken into account, Roberts is probably Washington’s No. 4 wideout – which doesn’t seem to bode well for his chances to stay on the roster. The 28-year-old was productive from 2010-14, when he caught a combined 218 passes and 13 touchdowns for Arizona and Washington; he’s coming off a career-worst season, however, having hauled in a mere 11 catches in nine games. He also failed to find the end zone for the first time in his six-year NFL tenure.

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