Pro Football RumorsAustin Pasztor – Pro Football Rumors

The Titans reached the 53-man limit on Saturday, mostly via cuts. They did, however, free up one roster spot by trading Taywan Taylor to the Browns.

Among the more notable cuts – quarterback Logan Woodside, running back Jeremy McNichols, and offensive lineman Corey Levin.

Here’s the complete rundown of the Titans’ Saturday slashing:

Waived/released:

OL Hroniss Grasu
OL Austin Pasztor
TE Ryan Hewitt
DB Kenneth Durden
DB D’Andre Payne
DB JoJo Tillery
DB Michael Jordan
DB Kareem Orr
DB LaDarius Wiley
DL Chris Nelson
DL Braxton Hoyett
DL Frank Herron
DL Amani Bledsoe
LB Derick Roberson
LB Ukeme Eligwe
LB Quart’e Sapp
LB LaTroy Lewis
LB Eric Cotton
OL A.T. Hall
OL Aaron Stinnie
OL Corey Levin
OL Tyler Marz
P Austin Barnard
QB Logan Woodside
RB Akeem Hunt
RB Jeremy McNichols
RB Alex Barnes
TE Parker Hesse
WR DeAngelo Yancey
WR Anthony Ratliff-Williams
WR Papi White
WR Cody Hollister
WR Tanner McEvoy

Reserve/NFI:
DL Jeffery Simmons

Suspended:
LT Taylor Lewan

NFL Workout Updates: 12/11/18

Sam Robinson — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 03:40:02 +0000

Here’s the latest from the NFL’s workout circuit, all links going to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account (unless otherwise noted). The first day teams can sign players to reserve/futures contracts is New Year’s Eve.

Arizona Cardinals

DT Toby Johnson (link)

Buffalo Bills

LB Marquis Flowers (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Mike Rodak)

Cleveland Browns

WR Chance Allen, WR Devin Lucien, WR Brandon Reilly, T Dakoda Shepley, LB Alex Singleton (link)

Denver Broncos

WR Shay Fields, LB Chris Frey, CB Kameron Kelly, LB Hau’oli Kikaha, CB Trevon Mathis, QB Bo Levi Mitchell (CFL tryout), DL Henry Mondeaux, LB Tegray Scales, LB Robert Spillane, WR Greg Ward (Twitter links)

Detroit Lions

DT Joshua Frazier, DT Greg Gilmore, DE Alec James, T Jarron Jones, LB Jacob Pugh, DT Elijah Qualls, DE Jonathan Wynn (link)

Green Bay Packers

DB Tevaughn Campbell (link)

Houston Texans

LB Kennan Gilchrist, CB Josh Hawkins (Twitter links)

Indianapolis Colts

CB Johnathan Alston, T William Poehls, DT DeShawn Williams (link)

Jacksonville Jaguars

WR C.J. Board, LB Farrington Huguenin, DE Alec James, TE Marcus Lucas, TE Troy Mangen, WR Jordan Veasy, LB Antwione Williams (link)

Los Angeles Rams

LB Sam Eguavoen (CFL tryout) (link)

New York Jets

LB Zaire Anderson, LB Kwaku Boateng (CFL tryout), RB Joel Bouagnon, RB Mack Brown, RB Martez Carter, LB Jonathan Celestin, LB Avery Ellis (CFL tryout), LB Manase Hungalu, K Ty Long (CFL tryout), T Ryker Mathews (CFL tryout), WR Bryant Mitchell (CFL tryout), RB Akrum Wadley, WR D’haquille Williams (CFL tryout) (link)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LB Emmanuel Smith (link)

Tennessee Titans

T Cornelius Lucas, G/T Austin Pasztor (Twitter links)

Washington Redskins

G Kaleb Johnson, G Jordan Morgan, T Norman Price (link)

Titans Place RT Jack Conklin On IR

Zachary Links — Tue, 11 Dec 2018 20:18:19 +0000

The Titans have formally placed right tackle Jack Conklin on injured reserve, according to a team announcement. The club also officially placed tight end Jonnu Smith on IR.

Both Conklin and Smith went down in Thursday night’s game against the Jaguars. For Smith, the seriousness of the injury was readily apparent – the Titans learned on Friday that he would be sidelined for the year with a severe MCL injury. However, the Titans were hoping to get Conklin back on the field for the postseason, should they qualify.

Conklin, the No. 8 pick in the 2016 draft, played in every possible regular season game over the first two years of his career before going down with a torn ACL in the Titans’ divisional round loss to the Patriots. That injury cost Conklin time this year, as he missed the first three games of the season before returning in Week 4. Since then, Conklin played nearly every snap for Tennessee (save for Week 5 when he suffered a concussion), grading as the NFL’s No. 42 offensive tackle among 78 qualifiers in the process, per Pro Football Focus.

Unfortunately, Conklin’s knee issue will keep him out of action the rest of the way. The Titans, meanwhile, still have a 34% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.

To fill the gaps, the Titans signed tight end Cole Wick off of the 49ers’ practice squad and signed veteran offensive lineman Austin Pasztor.

NFL Workout Updates: 11/20/18

Ben Levine — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 00:58:31 +0000

Here’s the latest from the workout circuit (all via SiriusXM’s Adam Caplan on Twitter):

Cincinnati Bengals

DT Michael Bennett

Cleveland Browns

WR Max McCaffrey

Denver Broncos

OL Don Barclay, OT Isaiah Battle, OL Austin Pasztor

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/8/18

Dallas Robinson — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 01:28:36 +0000

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Waived: OL Austin Pasztor

San Francisco 49ers

Promoted from practice squad: DB Greg Mabin

Falcons To Sign OT Austin Pasztor

Zachary Links — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 14:47:07 +0000

The Falcons agreed to sign offensive tackle Austin Pasztor to a one-year deal, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Pasztor, 28 next month, was with the Falcons last year, so he’s already familiar with the club’s blocking schemes.

Last year, the veteran didn’t land a free agent contract until August, and went on to appear in only seven games as a reserve for the Falcons. This year, he was with Atlanta through the offseason, but missed the team’s final cut.

Pasztor’s career has taken him through a few different cities and multiple positions. In 2016, he turned in an excellent year as the Browns’ right tackle, but garnered little interest as a starter in the offseason. Prior to that season, he moved between left guard and right tackle for the Browns and Jags.

The Falcons are banking on Pasztor and others to fortify their starting line in the wake of multiple injuries to the front five. On Tuesday, right guard Brandon Fusco joined left guard Andy Levitre on IR, prompting the Falcons to pluck Rees Odhiambo from the Colts’ taxi squad. For now, Ben Garland seems likely to start at RG with Wes Schweitzer continuing on the left side.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/22/18

Zachary Links — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 00:59:07 +0000

Here’s a rundown of today’s NFL workouts. Each workout comes from Howard Balzer’s (on Twitter), unless noted otherwise:

Arizona Cardinals

G Oday Aboushi, TE John Phillips, TE Gavin Escobar, G Austin Pasztor, S Rolan Milligan, S Fish Smithson

Cleveland Browns

RBs Charcandrick West, RB Devante Mays, LB Corey Nelson, CB Jalen Myrick (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of SiriusXM)

Houston Texans

CB Tony Lippett

Los Angeles Rams

WR Jace Billingsley, WR Chad Hansen, WR Austin Proehl

Seattle Seahawks

DE Damontre Moore (Twitter link via Caplan)

NFL Workout Updates: 10/16/18

Sam Robinson — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 00:54:47 +0000

Here’s the latest from the workout circuit. Links to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account, unless otherwise noted.

Chicago Bears

CB Quinten Rollins (link)

Cleveland Browns

C Jake Eldrenkamp (visit), WR Chad Hansen, WR Blake Jackson, WR Korey Robertson, WR Damore’ea Stringfellow (link)

Detroit Lions

T Cole Gardner, G/T Austin Pasztor (link)

Indianapolis Colts

WR K.J. Brent, WR Krishawn Hogan (link)

Jacksonville Jaguars

TE Khari Lee, G Brandon Thomas (link)

Kansas City Chiefs

WR Deontez Alexander, G Jeff Allen, WR J.J. Jones, WR Austin Proehl (link)

Miami Dolphins

DE Will Clarke, DT Winston Craig, T Antonio Garcia, DE Alec James, T Dieugot Joseph, DT Lewis Neal, T Corey Robinson, DT DeShawn Williams (link)

New York Jets

WR J.J. Jones, S Charlie Miller, RB Donnel Pumphrey, C Jon Toth, T Toby Weathersby, RB Ralph Webb (link)

Philadelphia Eagles

LB B.J. Bello, S Ibraheim Campbell, DT Winston Craig (visit), CB Dexter McDougle, CB Quinten Rollins (Twitter links via Balzer and Sirius XM Radio’s Adam Caplan)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

LB Devante Bond (link)

Washington Redskins

G Oday Aboushi, G J.J. Dielman, G John Jerry (link)

NFL Workout Updates: 9/24/18

Andrew Ortenberg — Tue, 25 Sep 2018 02:52:52 +0000

Today’s workout updates are below. There were some notable names, including veteran quarterback Landry Jones, who was released by the Steelers at final cuts.

Cleveland Browns

DTs Josh Banks, Henry Mondeaux, Aziz Shittu; TEs Pharoah Brown, Donnie Ernsberger; LBs Obum Gwacham, Calvin Munson, Jacob Pugh; DEs Anthony Lanier, Damontre Moore; CB Kalan Reed

Indianapolis Colts

WR Reggie Davis; S Marwin Evans; CB D.J. Killings; DE Cameron Malveaux; OTs Rees Odhiambo, William Poehls, De’Ondre Wesley

New England Patriots

QB Landry Jones; CB David Amerson; WR Dontrelle Inman

New York Jets

OL Isaiah Battle, Austin Pasztor; LBs Gimel President, Aaron Wallace; WR Ka’Raun White

Looks like the Browns are searching for defensive help, working out a slew of players on that side of the ball. Jones working out for the Patriots is interesting, as he isn’t really young enough to be seen as a developmental project, and Brian Hoyer is entrenched as Tom Brady‘s backup.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/17/18

Sam Robinson — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 02:50:17 +0000

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s of Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Baltimore Ravens

G Jonathan Cooper, G Dillon Day, G Jamil Douglas, C T.J. Johnson, G Austin Pasztor, G Ian Silberman, T Darrell Williams. (Twitter link via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley)

Cincinnati Bengals

S Quin Blanding, DT Joshua Frazier, S Mike Mitchell, DT Elijah Qualls, DE Charles Tapper (Twitter links via Balzer and Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan)

Cleveland Browns

K Giorgio Tavecchio (link)

Dallas Cowboys

S Andrew Adams, CB David Amerson, CB Alex Carter, CB Michael Hunter, CB Jeremy Lane (via the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, on Twitter)

Indianapolis Colts

CB Johnathan Alston, CB De’Vante Bausby, S Kurtis Drummond, Jackson Porter, CB Josh Shaw (Visit, link)

Jacksonville Jaguars

P Joseph Davidson (link)

New York Jets

CB De’Vante Bausby, DT Michael Bennett, WR Jace Billingsley, T Gerhard de Beer, LB Azeem Victor, Adolphus Washington (link)

Philadelphia Eagles

G Kofi Amichia, G Spencer Drango, G Kaleb Johnson, T Rees Odhiambo (link)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

TE Nick O’Leary (link)

Tennessee Titans

WR Nick Williams (link)

Washington Redskins

TE Evan Baylis, TE Pharoah Brown, TE Vince Mayle, WR Tre McBride, QB Josh Woodrum (link)

Falcons Release OL Austin Pasztor

Dallas Robinson — Sat, 01 Sep 2018 00:02:54 +0000

The Falcons have released veteran offensive tackle Austin Pasztor, the club announced today.

In addition to releasing Pasztor, Atlanta reached an injury settlement with cornerback Leon McFadden and cut him from injured reserve.

Falcons Re-Sign OL Austin Pasztor, CB Leon McFadden

Dallas Robinson — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 16:00:54 +0000

The Falcons have inked offensive lineman Austin Pasztor and cornerback Leon McFadden to one-year extensions through the 2018 season, the club announced today.

Pasztor, 27, was excellent as the Browns’ right tackle in 2016, but he surprisingly hasn’t garnered any interest as a starter since that season. Last year, he didn’t land a free agent contract until August, and went on to appear in only seven games as a reserve for the Falcons. Capable of playing both tackle and guard, Pasztor will likely continue as a backup in 2018, although he could compete to start at guard.

McFadden, a former third-round pick, signed with the Falcons in December but never played in a contest with the club. He’ll offer depth in the secondary, but his primary role will be on special teams if he makes the roster.

Top 2018 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

Zachary Links — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 04:09:57 +0000

NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market. The same goes for players who have been franchise tagged or transition tagged.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2018:

Quarterback:

There were many difficult calls when putting this list together, but ranking Kirk Cousins as the No. 1 QB available was not among them. Cousins is the best quarterback to reach free agency in recent history and he’ll become the highest-paid player of all-time – at least, for some period of time – in mid-March. Who will make history with Cousins? That’s anyone’s guess right now. The Browns have more cap room than any other team, but a recent report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com listed the Broncos, Cardinals, Jets, and Vikings as the final suitors for Cousins. Of those four, the Jets have the most money to work with, but they’re concerned about the Vikings winning out and Cousins’ desire to win could point him in another direction. If the Broncos and Cardinals want in on the Cousins sweepstakes, they’ll have to get creative with the books.

Drew Brees is included here, but by his own admission, he’ll be re-signing with the Saints rather than testing the open waters of free agency. Unless the Saints lowball their franchise QB, it’s hard to see him leaving New Orleans.

Case Keenum put together a tremendous season for the Vikings, but he doesn’t have a history of success beyond 2017. There will be plenty of interest in Keenum, but only after QB-needy teams strike out on Cousins. The incumbent Vikings could re-sign Keenum, but right now, it seems like they are intent on exploring the Cousins waters first.

There isn’t a ton of footage on A.J. McCarron, which made his placement on this list awfully tricky. We know this much: McCarron did well in place of Dalton in the home stretch of the 2015 season and his former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was salivating at the chance of landing him before the Browns bungled the trade with the Bengals. McCarron’s relative youth is a plus (he won’t turn 28 until September) and his lack of experience can be looked at as a positive. Unlike some of the other names on this list, he hasn’t run up his NFL odometer.

What will NFL teams make of Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford this offseason? Not long ago, both seemed like quality starting options. However, there are serious injury questions about both players and any team signing them will either look to backstop them with another decent option or ask them to come onboard as a QB2. With that in mind, one has to wonder if Bradford would consider retirement if asked to hold the clipboard for another signal caller. Bradford has earned upwards of $110MM over the years in the NFL, so it’s safe to say that he has enough money in the bank to call it quits if he wants. For now, he’s intent on playing.

Colin Kaepernick‘s placement on this list is sure to draw some strong reactions from his fans and detractors alike. Looking purely at his football ability, there’s no question that he belongs on someone’s roster. At minimum, Kaepernick profiles as a high-end backup, even after a year out of the game.

Quarterbacks coaches have long believed that Mike Glennon is capable of great things, due in part to his height. At 6’7″, he can see over any defensive line, but he hasn’t done much on the field to prove that he is a quality Week 1 starting option. Josh McCown, who is a decade his senior, edges him here for his surprisingly strong performance in 2017 at the helm of a weak Jets offense.

Running back:

We’re in the illegal tampering period which, frankly, is just as active as the legal tampering period. Already, Dion Lewis is attracting attention from a number of teams and it’s speculated (wink wink) that the Jets, Texans, 49ers, Raiders, and Colts will have interest in him when things get underway next week. Le’Veon Bell has a franchise tag coming his way, so Lewis stands as the most attractive RB option out there.

Carlos Hyde didn’t have the kind of platform year he was hoping for, but he’s still just 26 and could headline a running back by committee group.

Jerick McKinnon‘s placement on this list figures to be controversial, but his athleticism and pass-catching ability can blow a game wide open. No one will bank on McKinnon to carry the ball 20 times per game, but he can be a real difference maker for a team out there.

Can Frank Gore outrun father time? History indicates that he can’t and so does his 3.7 yards per carry average in 2017. You have to give credit where credit is due, however. Gore has been ruled out by many for years, but he has not missed a regular season game since the 2010 season. He’s also just one year removed from cracking 1,000 yards and he almost did the same last year.

Wide receiver:

For most teams, Allen Robinson would be a franchise tag candidate. However, that may be too much of a luxury for the cash-strapped Jaguars. He presents a fascinating free agent case. Robinson missed all but three snaps of the 2017 season after suffering a torn ACL, but he’s the most talented wide receiver on the board in the eyes of many. His 2015 season – 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns – makes GMs drool. His quieter year in 2016 (73 catches, 883 yards, and six touchdowns) is less worthy of salivation. His 2017 season, of course, was a lost cause. For all the question marks, you can expect Robinson to see more dollars than any other free agent WR this year, particularly since Jarvis Landry has been held back by the tag.

Some in the football world may prefer Sammy Watkins for his big-play ability, but his down contract year amidst a capable offense is cause for concern. His injury history doesn’t do him any favors either. No matter your feelings on Watkins, there’s no debating that this year’s WR market has a top tier comprised of just two players – Watkins and Robinson. With few quality receivers out there, they’ll both get paid.

Marqise Lee represents a much less sexy option (speaking in football terms, of course), but he had the most receptions of any Jaguars receiver in 2017 (56) and finished second in receiving yards (702). Teams looking for a quality WR2 in free agency could do a lot worse than Lee and he’ll be far cheaper than the two-man top tier.

Danny Amendola hauled in 61 receptions for 659 yards and two touchdowns in the regular season and continued his strong play in the playoffs. However, teams will wonder if he can thrive in his age-33 season while playing outside of the Patriots’ offense. It’s also quite possible that he never tests the market as his stated preference is to remain in New England.

After that, you’ll notice a pretty significant drop off. That’s because this year’s WR class isn’t all that deep. Terrelle Pryor had to settle for a one-year prove-it contract last year and, to put it mildly, he did not prove it. Paul Richardson caught 44 passes for 703 yards and six touchdowns in 2017, but that marked his first NFL season of real note.

Tight end:

Trey Burton spent most of the year behind Zach Ertz on the Eagles’ depth chart, but he emerged late in the season and set himself up nicely for free agency. Given his age and potential, there’s no question that he is the belle of the ball at tight end.

The rest of the tight end crop is not nearly as inspiring. Jimmy Graham has enjoyed back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons with the Seahawks, but he’ll turn 32 in November and he’s no longer the monster playmaker that he was in New Orleans. He had ten touchdowns in 2017, but his 9.1 yards per reception average is a career low.

Odds are, you have Tyler Eifert ranked over Austin Seferian-Jenkins given the fact that Eifert has played just ten games over the last two years. ASJ, meanwhile, rebounded from personal issues to post a 50-catch season for the Jets. Personally, I’m picking Eifert based on upside. Hopefully, we can still be friends.

Virgil Green, Darren Fells, and Lee Smith aren’t exactly fantasy football superstars, but they are quality blocking tight ends that will draw more dollars than expected.

With some uninspiring names towards the backend of the list, you may be wondering where former Ravens notable Crockett Gillmore is on this list. Gillmore is transitioning to the offensive line, so he did not warrant consideration here.

Fullback:

Jon Gruden may go eagerly shopping for fullbacks, but they’re not nearly as popular as they once were.

Offensive tackle:

Offensive line play is down across the board and evaluators around the league have been openly complaining about an increasing dearth of tackles coming out of college. That makes for a generally uninspiring lot in free agency.

Nate Solder battled through injuries in 2017 and did not miss a game. He’s no longer a top-flight option, but he graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 32 tackle last year, meaning that he’s starter quality at left tackle. You’ll notice that three of the top five tackles on this list are Patriots. There’s little chance that the Pats let all three get away.

Justin Pugh offers the ability to play both guard and right tackle, though he might not do either one particularly well.

Interior offensive line (guard/center):

Andrew Norwell is the undisputed king of this category after netting an All-Pro selection in 2017. Norwell also earned a career-high 88.8 overall score from Pro Football Focus, which positioned him third in the entire NFL amongst guards. A team with greater means than the Panthers might have used the franchise tag on him. Fortunately for rival teams in need of interior help (such as the Giants), they won’t cuff him with the one-year placeholder.