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Bishop Sankey

Patriots Sign Bishop Sankey To Practice Squad

September 4th, 2016 at 12:23pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots are signing running back Bishop Sankey to their practice squad, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. Sankey was waived by the Titans earlier this week.Bishop Sankey (Vertical)

Sankey was once viewed as the Titans’ best running back and was expected to break out as a rookie in 2014. Sankey, 24 later this month, appeared in all 16 games for the Titans as a rookie but amassed only 569 yards off of 152 carries. Last season, Sankey’s role was reduced even further has he had only 47 rushing attempts for 193 yards in 13 games.

The Patriots, meanwhile, lost RB Dion Lewis for a good chunk of the season, and also released veteran Donald Brown. Therefore, Sankey, a former second-round pick, could certainly contribute during the upcoming season behind LeGarrette Blount, James White, and Brandon Bolden.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Titans Cut Justin Hunter, Bishop Sankey

September 2nd, 2016 at 4:00pm CST by Zachary Links

4:00pm: The Titans have made more cuts this afternoon, including another big name. Running back/wide receiver Dexter McCluster has been let go. McCluster averaged 4.5 yards per carry last season in Tennessee and averaged 8.4 yards per reception, but the Titans saw a better use for his roster spot. McCluster already pocketed a $350k roster bonus earlier this year, but the Titans will save $2.275MM in cash by cutting him.

Here is the full, updated list of Titans cuts so far:

11:07am: The Titans have jettisoned a pair of notable players from the old front office regime. Wide receiver Justin Hunter and running back Bishop Sankey have both been cut, as Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com reports (Twitter links). "<strong

Hunter, an exceptionally talented receiver, was drafted 34th overall in 2013. Since then, the Titans have been frustrated with Hunter and there have been rumblings that his work ethic was not up to par. Days ago, the Titans shipped out another talented wide receiver with perceived motivation problems when they traded Dorial Green-Beckham to the Eagles.

“It is still going to be hard (to make the team) because we have a lot of talented receivers in the group. We are fighting for spots, and you have to keep up and progress at the same time,” said the 25-year-old Hunter last month, acknowledging that his spot on the roster was not guaranteed.

Hunter has an uninspiring 68 receptions and eight touchdowns in 35 career games (13 starts). While Hunter has averaged an impressive 16.8 yards per catch, that number dropped to a career-worst 12.0 on 22 grabs last season. The 2015 campaign was a short one for Hunter, who only appeared in nine games as a result of a mid-November fractured ankle.

Sankey was once viewed as the Titans’ best running back and was expected to break out as a rookie in 2014. Sankey, 24 later this month, appeared in all 16 games for the Titans as a rookie but amassed only 569 yards off of 152 carries. Last season, Sankey’s role was reduced even further has he had only 47 rushing attempts for 193 yards in 13 games.

The surprising cuts didn’t stop there. The Titans are going to waive guard Jeremiah Poutasi, a source tells Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Poutasi was an early third-round pick of the Titans last year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Sankey, Jets, Dolphins

June 16th, 2016 at 7:34pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots seem likely to look for another running back in the coming months, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who wonders if New England could show interest in Titans back Bishop Sankey. Sankey isn’t expected to make Tennessee’s final roster, so he could likely be had for minimal compensation — or the Pats could simply wait until Sankey is waived and try to pluck him then. If and when he is cut loose by the Titans, Sankey shouldn’t be on the street for long, as Rand Getlin of NFL.com reports (Twitter link) that multiple clubs have already expressed interest in the former second-round pick.

Let’s take a look at the latest out of the AFC East…

  • Though most rookie contracts are now a breeze, clubs and agents can begin to negotiate a bit starting in the third round, a topic that Reiss has examined in the past. Writing in a separate column today, Reiss notes that the Patriots‘ Jacoby Brissett (who officially inked his rookie deal earlier today) is one of just two third-round picks who received 100% of their maximum allowable slotted compensation — the other, unsurprisingly, is also a quarterback, Cody Kessler of the Browns. The value of the QB position is such that even third-round picks can exert a little bit of leverage as they hammer out deals.
  • Defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson said earlier today that the Jets “don’t want” him, but that sentiment isn’t quite right, argues Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. New York does want Wilkerson, per Florio, but it simply wants to keep him for a single year at a cost of around $15MM, rather than sign to a long-term extension. With fellow defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson and Leonard Williams in tow, the Jets can continue to play hardball, hoping that their draft-and-develop strategy will allow them to find the next Wilkerson instead of paying for the current iteration.
  • Running back Kenyan Drake suffered an injury scare on Wednesday, but he’ll be ready for the start of training camp, Dolphins coach Adam Gase tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. On Wednesday evening, Drake formally signed his rookie contract. He’s expected to be Miami’s No. 2 back behind Jay Ajayi.
  • In other Dolphins news, veteran Dallas Thomas is starting ahead of first-round pick Laremy Tunsil at guard, at least thus far in practice, writes Jackson in a separate column. “You’ve got to earn your spot,” said Gase, who, it should be noted, did downplay the importance of who is starting at this point in the year. “I don’t think you’ve seen anyone get plugged in and anointed anything. Everybody’s battling. That’s what we want.”

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Mailbags: Bills, Titans, Broncos, Jets

June 4th, 2016 at 11:39am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means the NFL’s various beat reporters are opening their mailbags and answering questions from the readers. Let’s take a look at some of the notable responses out of the AFC…

  • Bills coach Rex Ryan and his staff are “operating under the premise that they have to “get it right” this year,” writes Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News. While the writer wouldn’t definitively say if Ryan could end up on the hot seat, he did note that fans have started to recognize the weaknesses in his coaching style, allowing them to question whether he’s actually “the right man for the job.” With a lack of a coach’s salary cap and with more money to use, Carucci does acknowledge that NFL owners are justified in having a quick “trigger finger,” which might not bode well for Ryan.
  • Bills undrafted free agent Glenn Gronkowski isn’t necessarily competing for a tight end spot, notes Carucci. Instead, Ryan has been using him as more of a fullback, so Rob Gronkowski‘s brother would need to unseat Jerome Felton in order to make the roster.
  • Running backs DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry are locks to make the Titans roster, and Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com believes Dexter McCluster will also make the team. As a result, Wyatt sees David Cobb, Bishop Sankey, Antonio Andrews and David Fluellen fighting for one roster spot.
  • It could be a “make or break” preseason for Broncos running back Kapri Bibbs, writes Mike Klis of 9News.com. With C.J. Anderson, Ronnie Hillman, and Devontae Booker having a secure hold on the top three spots on the depth chart, Bibbs will be competing with Juwan Thompson for one of the final spots on the roster.
  • The Broncos are trying to extend wideout Emmanuel Sanders, but Klis says it won’t be easy. If the 29-year-old wants to be paid like a top receiver (similar to Jeremy Maclin‘s $11MM annual salary), the Broncos may be priced out of the negotiations.
  • While a Darrelle Revis-type one-year (plus an option) contract would seemingly make sense for the Jets and Ryan Fitzpatrick, ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini outlines a number of reasons why this scenario probably wouldn’t work. Notably, the Jets apparent leverage would be greatly diminished if Fitzpatrick had an opportunity to test the market again next offseason.

NFL Mailbags: Jets, Sankey, Titans, Cowboys

November 14th, 2015 at 10:35am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some of the notable whispers, including a cameo from Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com…

  • The Jets defensive line is the only group that’s set up well for the future, and Rich Cimini says the team doesn’t have enough “rising, young talent” on their roster. However, despite nine starters being older than 30 years old, the writer doesn’t believe the team needs a complete rebuild to become a contender.
  • The Titans activated rookie running back David Cobb yesterday, but Wyatt can’t envision the team parting ways with Bishop Sankey.
  • With Delanie Walker and Anthony Fasano set to become free agents following next season, Wyatt wonders if the Titans could pursue a tight end either through free agency or the draft this offseason.
  • Todd Archer believes the Cowboys should let the market develop before they hand out a multi-year contract to Greg Hardy. The writer is skeptical that the organization would actually hand out a big money contract to the embattled defensive end.
  • In no particular order, Archer says defensive line, cornerback, wide receiver, running back, quarterback, and offensive line are the Cowboys‘ biggest needs heading into next year’s draft.

Titans Notes: Lewan, Hunter, Thompson

June 26th, 2014 at 11:03pm CST by Matt Feminis

Titans rookie first-rounder Taylor Lewan remains unsigned, but that didn’t prevent the team from training him at both left and right tackle, writes John Glennon in the Tennessean.

Here’s a few more Titans tidbits provided by offensive coordinator Jason Michael, who did an interview for the team website:

  • Talented but raw second-year receiver Justin Hunter has shown flashes of playmaking, and “the sky’s the limit” for him, but the staff needs to continue pushing him.
  • Veteran Shonn Greene (injury) and rookie Bishop Sankey (academic requirements) missed most of the team’s offseason, opening the door for Dexter McCluster to learn the system.
  • Another player who must make strides is Taylor Thompson, whose transition from college defensive end to NFL tight end has not gone smoothly. Michael did not call out Thompson, but did stop short of praising him, saying, “He’s still young to the position, with changing from defensive end, and I know we’ve talked about those things and at some point, he’s got to put that behind him and move forward and be a tight end…”
  • However, unlike Hunter, a 2013 second-rounder who scored four touchdowns and averaged nearly 20 yards per catch as a rookie, Thompson enters his third pro season with just nine catches to his credit. In a recent Daily News Journal article, Thompson admitted to enduring growing pains and a steep learning curve. Additionally, first-year position coach Mike Mularkey said his first impression of Thompson is that he’s raw and inexperienced. Thompson, whom the Titans traded up for in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, has two years remaining on his rookie contract, but the team is hoping for signs of development. He’s expected to be the team’s No. 3 tight end, but at 6-6 and nearly 270 pounds with sub-4.6 speed and natural catching ability, Thompson has breakout potential if the light comes on.

Titans Sign Second-Rounder Bishop Sankey

June 17th, 2014 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Titans have locked up their second round pick, agent Jason Bernstein announced today, tweeting that running back Bishop Sankey has signed his rookie contract with the club (hat tip to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan). The deal will keep Sankey under contract through the 2017 season.

The 54th overall pick, Sankey was the first running back off the board in last month’s draft, and was the Titans’ second pick after offensive tackle Taylor Lewan, who remains unsigned. As I detailed earlier this afternoon, Sankey and Lewan were two of just 13 picks who had yet to put pen to paper, so the running back’s agreement means we’re down to just 12 unsigned draftees now.

According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, Sankey’s signing bonus will be worth about $1.115MM, while the overall value of his four-year pact amounts to around $3.843MM.

Draft Notes: RBs, WRs, Team Tendencies

May 3rd, 2014 at 11:05pm CST by Peter Sowards

For those who like to hear what scouts have to say, there’s nobody more connected than Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In his latest “Rating the NFL draft prospects” series, McGinn looks at the running back position and ranks his top-10, based on what he’s seen and what he’s heard from scouts.

At the top is Ohio State’s Carlos Hyde. “Complete player,” one scout told McGinn. “Stud. He’s powerful. Great athlete. Great run feel. Catches the ball very well. He’ll block. Picks up all the protections, even calls some protections. He’s a good-hearted kid but he needs mentoring.”

Behind Hyde are LSU’s Jeremy Hill and Washington’s Bishop Sankey, the latter drawing comparisons to Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. Rounding out his top-five are Tre Mason of Auburn and Andre Williams of Boston College.

In a complement to his running bank rankings, McGinn examines how the position has become devalued over the years. NFL teams, on average, draft 1.8 runners in the first round this decade compared to 4.9 in the ’80s, a precipitous drop.

More draft notes from around the league…

  • The Charlotte Observer takes a look at the 79 wide receivers taken in the first and second rounds of the past 10 drafts. According to the Observer’s 2013 rankings, about one in four — 21 of 79 — rank among the Top 40.
  • If you’re curious of a certain general manager’s drafting habits, National Football Post’s Tony Villioti dug through 10 seasons worth of results for some gleaning insight. A few notable items, of which there are many: The Jets drafted just one receiver in the first three rounds (the fewest), the Ravens and Bengals drafted 17 and 16 receivers, respectively, and only four teams — Bears, Cowboys, Saints, Texans — did not draft a quarterback in rounds 1-3 in the 10-year study.
  • In defense of the NFL combine, Peter Keating of ESPN The Magazine (subscription required) writes that the bench press and 40-yard dash can predict the future success of players in the league.
  • Citing the player’s postseason draft success and his collegiate résumé, ESPN Insider Louis Riddick (subscription required) names Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald as the best defensive prospect in the 2014 draft class.
  • With picks made by beat writers of each of the 32 teams, Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times passes along this mock draft with only two quarterbacks going in the first round. Also of note is the Dolphins‘ first-round pick, Central Florida quarterback Blake Bortles.