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Brian Tyms

AFC Notes: Broncos, Colts, Jets, Browns

January 27th, 2017 at 11:05am CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL is continuing to investigate a June incident in which an intoxicated Aqib Talib accidentally shot himself in the leg, the league’s vice president of communications, Brian McCarthy, told Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. The Broncos cornerback isn’t facing any legal ramifications – the Dallas Police Department wrapped up its investigation in October – but the league could nonetheless hit the first-team All-Pro with some form of punishment. The soon-to-be 31-year-old has multiple run-ins with the law to his name, which could factor into the league’s decision, notes Jhabvala.

More from the AFC:

  • Vikings assistant general manager George Paton‘s interview with the GM-needy Colts went “extremely well,” sources told Chris Hagan of FOX 59 (Twitter links). Paton has turned down as many as 10 opportunities to leave Minnesota’s front office in recent years, but he’d finally be willing to depart if the Colts were to offer him their GM job, according to Hagan. Of course, Paton’s also in the running for the GM role in San Francisco, where he’s a finalist for the position.
  • Thanks to head coach Gary Kubiak‘s retirement, the Broncos’ offense will transition from a zone blocking scheme to a blend of zone and power under new coordinator Mike McCoy and line coach Jeff Davidson, writes Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. That will, of course, play a role in how the Broncos repair a line that was a liability in 2016. The group is loaded with question marks, opines Wolfe, who contends that its only building block is center Matt Paradis.
  • In addition to the previously reported Aaron Murray, the Jets worked out free agent wide receivers Brian Tyms and Kyle Prater earlier this week, tweets Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com. Tyms, unlike Prater, has regular-season experience, having appeared in a combined 18 games with Miami, Cleveland and New England from 2012-14. The 27-year-old has amassed seven receptions and a touchdown in his career.
  • The Browns and senior player-personnel associate Ron Hill are mutually parting ways, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora (Twitter link). Hill, a longtime scout and executive with several teams, joined Cleveland in 2014 under then-GM Ray Farmer.

Ravens Audition QB Austin Davis

January 20th, 2017 at 8:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Ravens worked out free agent quarterback Austin Davis today, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Baltimore would presumably have interest in a futures deal with Davis, who was waived by the Broncos in late December.Austin Davis (Vertical)

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Davis, 27, didn’t appear in a single game for Denver during his nearly fourth-month stay with the club, as he was relegated to clipboard duty behind Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch. While he played in three games for the Browns in 2015, Davis’ last significant starting experience came in 2014, when he threw for more than 2,000 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in eight starts for the Rams.

In Baltimore, Davis could compete for a backup spot behind starting quarterback Joe Flacco, one of only two QBs the Ravens currently have under contract for 2017. While No. 2 signal-caller Ryan Mallett is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency in March, Dustin Vaughan — who briefly latched onto Baltimore’s practice squad at the tail end of last season — was one of six players the Ravens signed to a futures deal earlier this month.

In addition to Davis, the Ravens also auditioned safeties Tony Burnett and Otha Foster; linebackers Kyler Elsworth and Boseko Lokombo; defensive tackle Robert Smith; and wide receivers Terrence Toliver and Brian Tyms, reports Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com (Twitter links).

Colts Unlikely To Add Veteran Wide Receiver

July 30th, 2016 at 5:49pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Though their depth chart is lacking behind their top three receivers, the Colts are unlikely to sign a veteran pass-catcher any time soon, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link), who adds that it’s “practically certain” general manager Ryan Grigson & Co. are not interested in adding an experienced option.Ryan Grigson (Vertical)

[RELATED: Impact Rookies — Indianapolis Colts]

The Colts, of course, were burned by last year’s veteran wide receiver addition, as Andre Johnson posted the worst season of his 13-year career, managing only 41 receptions for just over 500 yards before being released this spring. Depth option Griff Whalen was also cut this offseason, meaning that Indianapolis has little in the way of depth behind T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief, though 2015 first-round pick Phillip Dorsett will be asked to play a lot more than the 212 snaps he saw last season. As Roster Resource shows, Quan Bray, Josh Stangby, and Josh Boyce are next in line behind Indy’s starting trio.

Several veteran wideouts, including Johnson and Anquan Boldin, have found new homes this week, but other options such as Roddy White, Devin Hester, Marques Colston, James Jones, Brian Hartline, and Denarius Moore still remain on the free agent board. Both White and Hester recently reiterated their desire to continue playing in 2016, and Hester said this morning that seven clubs have already reached out to him. One other intriguing name could be Vincent Brown, who was recently released with an injury settlement by the Saints — Brown spent last summer on the Colts roster before being let go during final cutdowns, so he could be a familiar face for Indianapolis, provided he’s healthy.

Brian Tyms, meanwhile, could have been a candidate to scratch out a role on Indy’s roster, but the former Patriots receiver was placed on injured reserve today, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). To replace Tyms, the Colts signed fellow wide receiver Andre Debose, whom the Raiders waived in early June.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts Notes: London, Fournette, Tulloch, Swoope

July 9th, 2016 at 11:32am CST by Ben Levine

While some Colts players are surely anticipating their trip to London this season, it’s just more of the same for running back Frank Gore. The 33-year-old will be making his third career appearance at Wembley Stadium, and he compiled 189 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his previous two games.

The veteran told Kevin Bowen of Colts.com of his first trip to London in 2010. While the player was in an unfamiliar setting, it didn’t take long for him to feel at home.

“I saw people wearing my jersey and I was surprised by that,” he said. “I don’t know how they pick what team they want to cheer for but they are into it.”

Winston Guy (then with the Jaguars) played in London in 2013, and the veteran safety distinctly remembers the energy of the fans.

“It felt like a Super Bowl,” he said. “They didn’t care who won. They were just excited…It’s different, especially for guys that have never been across the world. Definitely a good week of experience.”

Let’s check out some more notes out of Indianapolis…

  • LSU running back Leonard Fournette would be an excellent fit for the Colts in next year’s draft, writes Bowen. The team has a need for a young running back, and the Colts’ depth may take a hit if Gore decides to retire. Of course, Bowen also notes that the organization shouldn’t be reaching for Fournette at the top of the first round.
  • Bowen can’t envision the Colts pursuing former Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch. General manager Ryan Grigson recently said that the team probably wouldn’t be adding more veteran talent, and the organization is also looking to make their defense younger. Considering the presence of Nate Irving and Sio Moore, signing Tulloch may not be the best use of the Colts limited cap space. The 31-year-old was released by the Lions earlier this week.
  • If the Colts end up seeking additional depth at other positions, Mike Chappell of Fox59 in Indy believes that receivers Brian Tyms or Josh Boyce could be out of a job.
  • After two years on the practice squad, it’s time for tight end Erik Swoope to make the active roster, writes Chappell. If the 24-year-old doesn’t prove that he’s worthy of the spot, rookie Darion Griswold could see himself sliding in behind Dwayne Allen and Jack Doyle.

Minor NFL Transactions: 4/7/16

April 7th, 2016 at 10:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Thursday’s minor moves from across the NFL:

  • Falcons right tackle Ryan Schraeder has signed his restricted free agent tender, according to ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure. It’s a one-year pact that will pay him $2.553MM. Schraeder was one of the few RFAs who may have drawn interest from rival teams despite receiving a second-round tender, but it appears no clubs were willing to make a serious play for him.
  • The Colts announced a series of roster moves today, officially confirming that they signed wide receivers Josh Boyce and Brian Tyms and waived guard Ben Heenan. Boyce and Tyms both have NFL experience in New England, while Heenan was a former CFL standout who has decided to retire (Twitter link via Sportscentre).
  • About a month after cutting veteran long snapper Aaron Brewer, the Broncos have signed a potential replacement. Per Mike Klis of 9NEWS (Twitter links), Denver worked out Air Force Academy long snapper Harrison Elliott, who has another year of military commitment, but ultimately signed former Iowa long snapper Casey Kreiter.
  • Ravens wide receiver Chris Matthews has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender, the club announced today (via Twitter). The signing ensures that Matthews remains under contract with Baltimore on a one-year, minimum salary deal.
  • Safety Brandon King, a key special-teamer for the Patriots in 2015, has signed his ERFA tender to remain in New England, tweets Mike Reiss of ESPN.com.

RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16

March 9th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:

Tendered

Non-Tendered

East Notes: Vernon, Giants, Gipson, Wilkerson

March 2nd, 2016 at 8:07pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Giants will have nearly $60MM in cap room to work with when the free agent period begins next week, and the club is expected to use that ample space to target pass rushers, according to Ebenezer Samuel and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News. Both Olivier Vernon — who was designated as the Dolphins’ transition player — and Mario Williams (recently released by the Bills) figure to “at least get a call” from general manager Jerry Reese & Co, sources tell the NYDN scribes. Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (Twitter link) agrees, guessing that Vernon will be the first player contacted by the Giants.

Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions:

  • Along with the edge rush, safety is another area on the Giants‘ roster that could use improvement, as PFR’s Zach Links pointed out in his preview of the New York’s offseason. Browns free agent Tashaun Gipson will be one of the top safeties available on the open market, and Raanan hears (via Twitter) that Gipson would “welcome” the idea of playing in New York. Gipson is widely expected to move on from Cleveland and find a new club next week.
  • The Jets have long been rumored to be willing to explore the possibility of trading franchise player Muhammad Wilkerson, but Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News doubts that the team will find a suitor willing to not only part with a first-round pick, but pony up the $40MM+ that Wilkerson is said to covet. One general manager told Mehta that he wouldn’t sacrifice a second- and third-round pick package for Wilkerson, so it’s fair to wonder if a market will develop for the star defensive end.
  • Receiver Brian Tyms tweeted his goodbyes to the Patriots organization today, a sign that he won’t return to New England in 2016, writes Tom Curran of CSNNE.com. Tyms, who spent the 2015 season on injured reserve with an Achilles injury, was set to be a restricted free agent, so the Patriots apparently won’t tender him a contract.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/15

August 24th, 2015 at 6:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday’s minor signings, cuts, and other transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Patriots waived Brian Tyms, who will revert to their IR (foot injury) if he goes unclaimed, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Earlier Updates:

  • The Lions waived/injured linebacker Kevin Snyder, Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Bears made a change on their offensive line today, signing former Raiders guard Lucas Nix to a one-year contract and waiving offensive lineman Jason Weaver with an injury designation (Twitter link). Nix, who started 10 games for Oakland in 2013, worked out for Chicago earlier in the month.
  • The Dolphins have waived wide receiver Michael Preston, the team announced today (via Twitter). Preston himself broke word of the move yesterday, with a tweet thanking the club for the opportunity.
  • The Eagles have added one safety to their roster and removed another, signing Brandan Bishop and reaching an injury settlement with Earl Wolff (Twitter links via agent David Canter and Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Wolff, a 2013 fifth-round pick, will become a free agent as he recovers from his knee surgery. The Eagles also waived/injured defensive tackle Wade Keliikipi, who suffered a Lisfranc foot injury this weekend, replacing him with defensive tackle Jeremy Towns (Twitter links).
  • The Falcons have parted ways with 2014 fifth-rounder Marquis Spruill, placing him on waivers today, according to Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Spruill, whose rookie season was wiped out by a torn ACL, never played a regular-season down for Atlanta.
  • The Giants formally announced several moves today, including the signing of veteran linebacker Ashlee Palmer, who started 15 games over the last two seasons in Detroit. The club also signed rookie defensive back C.J. Conway, and waived/injured safety Justin Currie (ankle) and linebacker Tony Johnson (knee).
  • The Jaguars announced a series of moves today (via Twitter and press release), adding wide receiver Erik Lora, linebacker Mister Alexander, and offensive lineman Will Corbin to their roster. The outgoing players are receiver Damian Copeland (waived/injured), offensive lineman Brennan Williams (waived/injured), and wideout Arrelious Benn (placed on IR).
  • The Panthers have waived/injured defensive end Frank Alexander, signing tight end Dallas Walker to replace him on the roster, the team announced today (Twitter link). Alexander, who sustained a torn Achilles, is in the final year of his contract, so Carolina isn’t worried about another team claiming him.
  • The Saints‘ tight end carousel continues, as the club is cutting Michael Egnew just a week after signing him, per Kristian Garic of WWL 870AM (Twitter link).
  • The Seahawks have cut defensive back Jeremy Crayton, using the newly-created roster spot to re-sign wide receiver DeShon Foxx, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
  • The Jets signed tight end Matt LaCosse and waived/injured defensive lineman Davon Walls, Brian Costello of the New York Post tweets.

Minor Moves: Wednesday

March 11th, 2015 at 7:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves…

  • The Giants have waived cornerback Travis Howard, according to the New York Post’s Paul Schwartz (via Twitter). The 25-year-old has yet to play an NFL game, and he spent last season on the injured reserve.

Earlier updates:

  • The Chiefs will sign offensive lineman Paul Fanaika, according to Terez A. Paylor of The Kansas City Star (via Twitter). The 28-year-old started 30 games with the Cardinals over the past two seasons.
  • The Patriots have added cornerback Chimdi Chekwa on a one-year deal, according to ProFootballTalk (on Twitter). The former fourth-rounder had spent the entirety of his four-year career with the Raiders.
  • The Patriots signed wide receiver Kevin Dorsey, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter). Dorsey also had interest from the 49ers.
  • Veteran long snapper Mike Leach re-signed with the Cardinals on a one-year deal today, tweets Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. Terms weren’t disclosed, but it figures to be a minimum salary benefit contract with a modest signing bonus for the 38-year-old
  • The Patriots have re-signed wide receiver Brian Tyms according to the NFL’s transaction wire, Ben Volin of The Boston Globe tweets. The Pats declined to make Tyms a qualifying offer on Tuesday but they’ve presumably signed him at a lesser rate.
  • The Browns announced that they have re-signed wide receiver and top special teams contributor Marlon Moore. Moore, 27, appeared in 13 games and was the team’s leading kickoff returner with an average of 24.8 yards on his 13 attempts.

Tender Updates: Tuesday

March 10th, 2015 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s tender decisions:

  • The Buccaneers have signed running back Bobby Rainey to a one-year tender worth $1.54MM, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. The Bucs will now have right of first refusal if another club offers Rainey a deal.
  • The Falcons chose not to tender an offer to restricted free agent Drew Davis, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com reported. The wide receiver will now become an unrestricted free agent.
  • The Packers elected not to tender new contracts to wide receiver Jarrett Boykin or running back DuJuan Harris, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN (via Twitter).
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Ravens didn’t tender an offer to cornerback Anthony Levine, who already has other teams interested in his services. He still might end up back in Baltimore, per Wilson.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe tweets that the Patriots declined to make a qualifying offer to receiver Brian Tyms. He’s now a free agent. Further, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, the Pats also didn’t make an offer to Tyms’ fellow wideout Greg Orton.
  • In other Pats news, Volin reports that the team made qualifying offers to fullback James Develin, defensive tackle Sealver Siliga and linebacker James Morris. All three will return to New England.
  • The Texans tendered a contract to quarterback Case Keenum, according to the Houston Chronicle’s John McClain.
  • The Vikings have opted to let go a pair of exclusive rights free agents, linebacker Dom DeCicco and offensive lineman Josh Samuda, per Matt Vensel of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
  • Safety Michael Thomas will return to the Dolphins after signing his ERFA tender, tweets James Walker of ESPN.com.
  • Green Bay issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • The Packers have issued an exclusive rights free agent tender to safety Chris Banjo, his agent tells Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter).
  • James Develin is returning to the Patriots after signing his exclusive rights tender, a source tells Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald tweets.
  • The Colts announced that exclusive rights free agent outside linebacker Cam Johnson has signed his tender. Johnson was first acquired by the Colts in a trade with the 49ers in September of 2013.
  • The Packers tendered RFA offensive lineman Don Barclay at the lowest level ($1.542MM), per agent Joe Linta (Twitter link via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com).
  • The Vikings tendered a contract offer to restricted free agent offensive tackle Mike Harris, but their other RFA-eligible player, linebacker Dom DeCicco, didn’t get a tender, tweets Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.

Earlier updates:

  • The Jaguars re-signed exclusive rights free agent tackle Austin Pasztor, tendering him a contract, tweets John Oehser of Jaguars.com.
  • The Dolphins tendered defensive end Derrick Shelby with the second-round tender of $2.35MM, Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald tweets. Shelby, 26, appeared in 15 games last season, recording 26 tackles and 3.0 sacks.
  • The Bengals (on Twitter) extended a tender offer to cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris. Lewis-Harris, an ERFA, has appeared in 12 games for Cincy over the last three years.
  • The Bengals will not extend a tender offer to defensive tackle Devon Still, Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer tweets. However, the Bengals have offered Still a one-year deal and he’s mulling that over while also taking matters involving his family into account, Coley Harvey of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Packers have tendered safety Sean Richardson at the ROFR (right of first refusal rate) of one-year, $1.542MM, according to Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel (on Twitter). That’s a sizable committment to Richardson, he adds.
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