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Bryce Brown

Best Available NFL Free Agents: Offense

May 19th, 2016 at 11:30am CST by Dallas Robinson

The most high-profile free agent signings occurred more than two months ago, but as we near June there are still talented NFL free agents available on the open market. Most of these players (with a few exceptions) won’t command much guaranteed money, and given that we’ve passed the May 12 deadline, none will factor into the compensatory draft pick formula. Let’s take a look at the players who will try to find a home as training camp approaches:"<strong

1. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB: The most obvious destination for Fitzpatrick remains the Jets, who don’t intend to play second-round pick Christian Hackenberg immediately but, as of the draft, hadn’t had meaningful talks with Fitz’s camp in awhile. The 33-year-old Fitzpatrick has apparently told people he’d “rather not play football” in 2016 than accept New York’s current offer, though that seems like a negotiating ploy to get the Jets to put more than $7-8MM on the table. Gang Green holds all the leverage in this scenario, as the only other club that might have still been searching for a quarterback — the Broncos — is thought to have ended their hunt for another signal-caller after drafting Paxton Lynch last month.

2. Anquan Boldin, WR: Even as he ages, Boldin continues to post solid production — he’s managed at least 65 receptions in each of the past four years, averaging nearly 1,000 yards and five touchdowns during that time. And while the 49ers have not asked him to return in 2016, Boldin could be an option for a number of wide receiver-needy teams, as the Bengals, Steelers, Colts, Chiefs, and Giants could all make varying levels of sense for the veteran pass-catcher, especially given that he’s indicated he’d prefer to play for a contender. Boldin has taken just one free agent visit this offseason, but that team — Washington — is unlikely to still have interest given that it selected TCU wideout Josh Doctson in the first round of the draft.

3. Arian Foster, RB: There’s no question that Foster offers the highest upside of any free agent on this list, as he’s topped 1,200 yards rushing in every season that he’s remained even remotely healthy. But health, of course, has remained a hindrance throughout Foster’s career — in 2015 alone, Foster was slowed by a groin injury during camp before suffering a torn Achilles in in Week 7. The Dolphins met with Foster earlier this offseason and could still be a landing spot, while the Raiders, Eagles, and Chargers (especially if Melvin Gordon‘s recovery from microfracture surgery doesn’t go well) could be options.

4. Jahri Evans, G: Knee and ankle injuries limited Evans to 11 games in 2015, but like Foster, Evans is a solid contributor when he’s on the field, as he graded as the league’s No. 27 guard among 81 qualifiers last year, per Pro Football Focus. Entering his age-33 season, Evans might have to be willing to engage in a camp battle for a starting role, or even wait until a club suffers an injury along its offensive interior. But a team like the Broncos, who are currently projected to start sixth-round rookie Connor McGovern at right guard, could express interest.

5. Louis Vasquez, G: Vasquez isn’t quite the guard that Evans is, but he offers a vast amount of experience, as he played over 1,000 snaps in 2015 with Denver, and has started 101 games since entering the league in 2009. Not yet 30 years old, Vasquez could help a number of clubs at either guard position — he met with the Titans earlier this offseason, and depending on its assessment of Jeremiah Poutasi, Tennessee may still be interested. The Chiefs, having failed to replace Jeff Allen, could also make sense as a destination."<strong

6. Andre Johnson, WR: After posting the worst full-season results of his career, Johnson was released by the Colts just one season into a three-year pact. Whether interested clubs will determine that Johnson was victimized by a lackluster 2015 Indianapolis (and largely Andrew Luck-less) offense — or instead conclude that Johnson is just about finished at age-34 — is an open question, but the 13-year veteran has indicated that he’d like to continue playing in 2016.

7. Will Beatty, T: Beatty is expected to be fully healthy this summer after missing the entire 2015 season with a torn pectoral muscle, but he reportedly won’t be returning to the Giants. It’s a little surprising that Beatty hasn’t yet found a home for 2016, but he shouldn’t have to wait much longer, as he’s clearly the best tackle available on the open market (his top competition is the likes of Jake Long and Mike Adams). I could see the Bears bringing in Beatty to compete with Charles Leno on the blindside, while the Cardinals could also be a feasible landing spot if they aren’t happy with D.J. Humphries — who didn’t play a single snap as a rookie — at right tackle.

8. James Jones, WR: Another season catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, another successful year for Jones, who returned to Green Bay after a year in Oakland to post 50 receptions for nearly 900 yards an eight touchdowns. Jones, now 32, has indicated that he’d like to play for awhile longer, though the Packers have reportedly moved on. After waiting until July of last year to sign with the Giants (and September to reunite with the Pack), Jones could again have to wait awhile to find a new team, but whoever signs him will be acquiring a big-play threat — in 2015, Jones ranked fourth in the league with 17.8 yards per reception.

9. Ryan Wendell, C/G: Perhaps the least recognizable name on this list, Wendell spent the last seven seasons as a utility interior lineman with the Patriots, and ended up starting 44 contests from 2012-2014. A knee injury prematurely ended Wendell’s 2015 season in November, and a March report stated that Wendell would wait until he returned to full health before signing with a new team. A return to New England can’t be ruled out, but a club like the Cardinals — who are currently projecting A.Q. Shipley to start at center — could also be on Wendell’s radar.

10. Owen Daniels, TE: Daniels has spent all ten of his NFL seasons under the tutelage of Gary Kubiak, following the coach from Houston to Baltimore and, finally, to Denver. That streak of loyalty is now in danger after the Broncos released Daniels earlier this year, though Kubiak did not rule out re-signing the veteran tight end (Denver has since signed fellow TE Garrett Graham, however). Even at age-33, Daniels performed in line with his career averages, posting 48 receptions for more than 500 yards and four touchdowns.

Honorable mention: Tarvaris Jackson, QB; Joique Bell, RB; Bryce Brown, RB; Marques Colston, WR; Brian Hartline, WR; Roddy White, WR; Khaled Holmes, C; Amini Silatolu, G.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Seahawks Sign Bryce Brown, Put Rawls On IR

December 15th, 2015 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

TUESDAY, 3:39pm: The Seahawks have officially announced the signing of Brown, sending Rawls to the injured reserve list in a corresponding move, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

MONDAY, 12:01pm: In the wake of Thomas Rawls‘ season-ending injury, the Seahawks are set to sign running back Bryce Brown, as Rob Rang of CBS tweets. This now marks the third stint on the Seahawks’ roster this season for Brown.

Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was bounced by the Bills late in the offseason and it took him until today to find a new home. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a whopping 126 yards off of 36 carries. Since getting cut loose by Buffalo, Brown has worked out for numerous teams and has had a few trips through Seattle.

Brown, a seventh-round pick out of Kansas State in 2012, rushed for a career-best 564 yards and 4 touchdowns as a rookie with the Eagles, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. He didn’t make a dent in his previous two stints with the Seahawks in 2015, but he could see a larger role now that Rawls is done for the season and Marshawn Lynch‘s recovery timetable remains up in the air.

Seahawks Activate Jeremy Lane, Cut Bryce Brown

November 28th, 2015 at 4:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As expected, the Seahawks have activated cornerback Jeremy Lane off the physically unable to perform list in advance of their Week 12 game, the team announced today in a press release. To create room on the 53-man roster for Lane, the club has waived running back Bryce Brown for the second time in the last seven days.

Lane, 25, last saw the field in the Super Bowl, when he broke his arm and tore his ACL on an interception return, forcing him to undergo multiple offseason surgeries. The former sixth-round pick has appeared in 35 regular season contests and another eight playoff games since joining the Seahawks in 2012, but that Super Bowl interception was the first of his career — it turned out to be a costly one.

As for Brown, the former Eagles and Bills running back has now had two stints on Seattle’s roster this season, but neither has resulted in any game action for him. This time around, he wasn’t even on the Seahawks’ roster for a game, having been re-signed on Tuesday and waived today.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/24/15

November 24th, 2015 at 5:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Tuesday’s minor signings and cuts from around the NFL:

  • The Seahawks are bringing back running back Bryce Brown, a source tells Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter links). Brown will give Seattle additional depth at the position given Marshawn Lynch‘s uncertain status. Head coach Pete Carroll indicated that Lynch was unlikely to go this week, so Brown’s return is not an indication of whether Lynch will undergo surgery.
  • The Seahawks also signed wide receiver B.J. Daniels to the active roster, as Brady Henderson of ESPN Seattle tweets.
  • The Raiders cut linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Armstrong got in hot water earlier this month for taunting a police dog in Pittsburgh.
  • The Eagles signed wide receiver Jonathan Krause from the practice squad and released linebacker Emmanuel Acho, as Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com tweets.
  • The Jets announced that they have signed outside linebacker Josh Martin off the Colts‘ practice squad to their active roster. Martin got his start as a UDFA with Kansas City in 2013 before moving on to the Bucs this season. After he was waived/injured by Tampa Bay, the Colts scooped him up soon after. For his career Martin has played in 21 games (one start) with a half-sack, a forced fumble and 28 tackles, all with the Chiefs.
  • The Dolphins have waived cornerback Zackary Bowman, as Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel tweets.
  • The Seahawks have waived defensive lineman A.J. Francis, Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times tweets.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/21/15

November 21st, 2015 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • Bryce Brown‘s rocky season continued when the Seahawks waived the now-well-traveled running back and brought up linebacker Eric Pinkins to take his place on the roster, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times reports. Pinkins, a 2014 sixth-round pick who was recently cut and re-signed to Seattle’s practice squad this year, will take the place of injured Bruce Irvin at strongside linebacker Sunday, per Condotta. Also jettisoned from the Bills earlier this year, Brown didn’t play in the two games for which he was on the Seahawks’ roster. The 24-year-old hasn’t played in a game this season.
  • Tyrell Williams will ascend from the Chargers‘ practice squad to their 53-man roster, Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (on Twitter). A 6-foot-4 rookie, Williams made the team out of training camp and played in one game thus far this season. The Chargers cut tight end Sean McGrath to clear the roster spot.
  • The Jets signed defensive end Mike Catapano off their practice squad and cut safety Ronald Martin, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily news tweets. Mehta notes (via Twitter) the team bringing up Catapano, who played in 15 games with the Chiefs in 2013, points toward Sheldon Richardson missing Sunday’s game with a hamstring malady.
  • The Texans promoted Akeem Hunt to their active roster, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. The rookie who owns a 4.37 40-yard dash clocking had stints with the Giants and Ravens prior to latching on with the Texans. Houston cut third-year defensive end Kourtnei Brown to make room for Hunt, Wilson tweets.
  • The Buccaneers have promoted linebacker Josh Keyes to their active roster in advance of Sunday’s game against the Eagles, tweets Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune.

Seahawks Sign Bryce Brown

October 27th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks have signed running back Bryce Brown, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. To make room, Seattle has waived quarterback/wide receiver B.J. Daniels.

Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was bounced by the Bills late in the offseason and it took him until today to find a new home. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a whopping 126 yards off of 36 carries. Since getting cut loose by Buffalo, Brown has worked out for the Titans, Chiefs, Lions, Colts, Jets, and Patriots. However, he’ll be making his home with Seattle.

Brown, a seventh-round pick out of Kansas State in 2012, rushed for a career-best 564 yards and 4 touchdowns as a rookie with the Eagles, averaging 4.9 yards per attempt. He’ll be expected to provide the Seahawks with depth while Thomas Rawls deals with a calf contusion.

Workout Notes: Titans, Brown, Johnson, Dixon

October 21st, 2015 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Just over seven months after he announced his retirement from the NFL, cornerback Cortland Finnegan had a workout today with the Patriots. Finnegan, 31, was one of the league’s worst cornerbacks in 2013, according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics. PFF ranked Finnegan 109th out of 110 qualified corners, with a grade of -19.7 in just seven games. As such, it came as a bit of a surprise when Miami inked the former Ram to a two-year, $11MM deal in 2014. He might not be worthy of that kind of pay, but he could make for an intriguing depth option for the Pats or another team.

Here’s a rundown of today’s other workouts from around the NFL, with all links going to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post on Twitter, unless noted otherwise..

Workout Updates: 10/16/15

October 16th, 2015 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve passed along a few of the more notable updates from the last few days on workouts and free agent visits, including the Giants trying out wide receivers like Terrelle Pryor and the Cowboys bringing in running back LaMike James. However, there are plenty more tryout updates from this week to round up, and we’ve got them all below. All links point to the Twitter account of Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, unless otherwise indicated.

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

  • Devin Gardner, WR (link)
  • Josh Harper, WR

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo, LB (link)

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

Lions Work Out Bryce Brown, Travaris Cadet, Daniel Thomas

October 7th, 2015 at 6:49pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions auditioned a trio of notable running backs on Wednesday, according to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The Lions worked out Bryce Brown, Travaris Cadet, and Daniel Thomas all worked out for Detroit, though there are no deals with any of the tailbacks as of this writing.

Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was bounced by the Bills late in the offseason and has yet to find a new home. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a whopping 126 yards off of 36 carries. Since getting cut loose by Buffalo, Brown has worked out for the Pats, Jets, Colts, and now the Lions.

Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year before his release in late September. Cadet saw his first significant action for the Saints in 2014, hauling in 38 passes on 51 targets, totaling 296 yards and a touchdown on those receptions. Although he was listed as a running back and generally lined up in the backfield, the Appalachian State product only had 10 carries for 32 yards.

In four seasons with Miami, Thomas ran for 1,480 yards off of 409 attempts, good for just 3.6 yards per carry. Last year he saw time in 12 games, rushing for 168 yards off of 44 carries, good for a 3.8 yard average on each try. He landed with the Bears this offseason but his stay did not last very long. The Lions first looked at Thomas back in June, but they did not offer him a deal.

The Lions also auditioned tight end Cameron Clear and a few defensive tackles. One of those defensive tackles was Andre Fluellen and he reached agreement on a deal with Detroit this afternoon.

Workout Notes: Brown, Cadet, Jets

October 6th, 2015 at 7:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Could two notable free agent running backs find an NFL home soon? The Colts auditioned Bryce Brown and the Jets worked out running back Travaris Cadet, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter).

Brown, 24, has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was unable to stick with the Bills this year. The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of last season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.

Cadet, 26, was signed by the Pats as a free agent in March of this year. The 6-foot-1, 210-pounder spent the last three seasons with the Saints and saw time in only one Pats game this year before his release in late September.

Here’s a look at today’s workouts..

  • The Jets worked out defensive tackle Davon Coleman, linebacker Julian Stanford, and defensive back Phillip Thomas, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Giants worked out four tight ends on Tuesday, including their former fourth-round pick Adrien Robinson, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
  • The Packers worked out former Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse today, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • Kicker Marvin Kloss worked out for the Buccaneers, Howard Balzer of USA Today Sports tweets. Of course, the Bucs wound up going with Connor Barth as their new placekicker.
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