HEADLINES

Bryce Brown

Bills Working Out Trent Richardson, Other RBs

October 6th, 2015 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on WGR 550 in Buffalo this morning, Bills general manager Doug Whaley confirmed that running back Karlos Williams sustained a concussion this weekend, raising uncertainty about his status in Week 5 (Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). With LeSean McCoy also sidelined by a hamstring injury, Whaley acknowledged that the team will bring in some free agents for a workout, and will consider adding outside help.

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links) has now identified a couple participants in that audition, reporting that former third overall pick Trent Richardson will work out for the Bills. Ex-Colt Boom Herron, who tried out for the Patriots this week, will also be among the backs in attendance at the Buffalo workout, according to Rapoport, while John Wawrow of The Associated Press tweets that Alfonso Smith will be there as well.

As Rodak notes, recently released running back Bryce Brown could also be an option for the Bills, who will be significantly short-handed at running back if McCoy and Williams are both ruled out for this weekend’s game. Currently, Boobie Dixon and Cierre Wood, who was recently promoted from the team’s practice squad, are the only healthy backs on the 53-man roster.

Workout Notes: Jets, Brown, Chargers, Lions

September 29th, 2015 at 6:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jets auditioned running back Bryce Brown on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Brown has showed flashes of promise in the past, but he was unable to stick with the Bills in 2015. 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.

Here’s a rundown of other notable workouts from around the NFL..

Patriots Notes: B. Brown, Workouts, Martin

September 18th, 2015 at 5:10pm CST by Luke Adams

With a showdown against the Bills in Buffalo around the corner, the Patriots engaged in the usual gamesmanship, bringing in a pair of former Bills for workouts this week. According to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link), running back Bryce Brown and quarterback Alex Tanney were among the players to get auditions from New England this week.

Brown has showed flashes of promise in the past, and Tanney has spent time on multiple NFL rosters, so the Pats were likely assessing both players as potential options in case of injuries throughout the season. But it probably didn’t hurt that Brown and Tanney were with the Bills in camp, and could provide some info on the opposition.

Here’s more out of New England:

  • In addition to trying out Brown and Tanney, the Patriots also took a look at fullback Henry Hynoski, quarterback Dustin Vaughan, and wide receivers Jarrett Boykin and Austin Pettis, per Kyed.
  • Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has the latest details on the NFL’s appeal of Judge Richard Berman’s Deflategate ruling, as the case figures to drag on for at least the next several months.
  • Head coach Bill Belichick hinted today that newly-acquired wide receiver and return man Keshawn Martin will be more of a factor as a kickoff returner than as a punt returner, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • The Pats made a practice squad change today, cutting wide receiver Nathan Palmer and replacing him with defensive lineman Jimmy Staten, tweets Reiss.

Bills Cut Bryce Brown

September 15th, 2015 at 3:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills announced that they have released running back Bryce Brown, as Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets. The release of Brown will make room for the return of Marcell Dareus.

The Bills traded a 2015 fourth-round pick to the Eagles to acquire Brown before the start of the 2014 season and that’s a deal that GM Doug Whaley probably wouldn’t make again. Brown was inactive for the season opener against the Colts and he watched Karlos Williams and Bobbie Dixon both find paydirt from the sidelines. In 2014, Brown ran for a grand total of 126 yards off of 36 carries.

East Notes: Wayne, Brown, Tebow

September 5th, 2015 at 10:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bill Belichick and Reggie Wayne agreed to mutually part company when the Patriots officially released the wide receiver they employed for not even two weeks, according to Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com.

Another reason for Wayne’s abrupt departure amid the Patriots’ injury struggles at the position could stem from the wideout’s lack of enjoyment in the Pats’ environment, per team radio analyst, Scott Zolak (on Twitter).

A source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk the the Patriots like to bring in veterans and let them learn the system to a degree, so even in the event they are cut, they could potentially fill a need later in the season if help is needed. Florio offers that Wayne might not be willing to follow in this path.

Two months shy of 37, Wayne’s beginning to sound like he’s on the way out, with a source telling Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link) the potential Hall of Fame wideout is willing to return but only in the right situation. But then again, not many veterans this far into their careers like to join up with losing franchises, so Wayne not jumping at just any chance to play makes sense.

Here are some other notes from the Eastern divisions as cut day closes.

  • Chip Kelly told Tim Tebow to hone his craft in Canada when the third-year Eagles coach cut the polarizing quarterback today, reports Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). Tebow has previously rebuffed such opportunities, but Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com notes (on Twitter) the Toronto Argonauts hold Tebow’s CFL rights, have spoken with him before and happen to be on a bye week presently.
  • The Bills may not be done reshuffling their backfield. They’ve had discussions of trading Bryce Brown, Albert Breer of NFL.com tweets. Buffalo GM Doug Whaley surrendered a fourth-round pick for Brown last season. The backup to the recently relocated Fred Jackson and the less-recently relocated C.J. Spiller last season, Brown, 24, didn’t receive many opportunities in his debut Bills slate. Now a two-time LeSean McCoy understudy, Brown appears to have fallen out of favor in Buffalo. He still sits behind Anthony Dixon and potentially fifth-rounder Karlos Williams. Dixon accrued 105 carries to Brown’s 36 last season despite Brown’s 5.1 yards per tote eclipsing Dixon’s tally by a full yard.

AFC East Notes: Tannehill, Manuel, Bills

May 19th, 2015 at 6:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Until recently, the possibility of a contract extension didn’t seem all that likely to Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, Adam H. Beasley of the Miami Herald writes.

“I didn’t know if it was going to happen or not,” Tannehill told reporters today . “I still had two years [on my contract], so it wasn’t something I was expecting. Fortunately enough, we made it happen.”

Eventually, a deal came together and the quarterback now has major financial security in the form of a six-year, $96MM deal. And, as Beasley notes, agent Pat Dye could argue that Tannehill’s new-money average from 2017 through 2020 is the sixth-highest in the league – with a bit of accounting magic. Here’s more from the AFC East..

  • Bills offensive coordinator Greg Roman shot down speculation that quarterback EJ Manuel could be cut in training camp if he doesn’t show progress, Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News tweets. Yesterday, Joe Buscaglia of WKBW reported that Manuel might not make the 53-man roster if he doesn’t take a step forward. The Florida State product had a promising rookie season in which he threw for 1,972 yards in ten starts but even then, his touchdown-to-interception ratio left much to be desired as he threw for 11 scores but gave up 9 picks. Last season, he lost the starting job after four games.
  • Bills running backs coach Anthony Lynn is concerned about Bryce Brown‘s absence from voluntary workouts, Jay Skurski of The Buffalo News writes. That’s not great news for Brown, especially when considering all the backs in competition in Buffalo. “Bryce is doing what he has to do right now, taking care of his family in the offseason, but yes, it will set him back,” he said. “I mean, he’s five, six weeks behind everyone else. Once he gets here, it’s going to be hard to slow down and catch him up. That’s one of my biggest concerns, but, you know, he’s got the playbook. Hopefully he’s taking care of his business and hopefully he’ll come in in great shape and we’ll see what happens.”
  • Patriots owner Robert Kraft surrendered in a battle he couldn’t win, Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe opines.

AFC East Notes: McCoy, Bills, Milliner, Jets

March 24th, 2015 at 10:48am CST by Luke Adams

All 16 AFC coaches spoke to reporters today in Arizona, including the four head coaches for AFC East clubs. Asked repeatedly about the departure of Darrelle Revis, Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t offer much insight, repeatedly answering, “It’s NFL free agency” (Twitter link via Albert Breer of the NFL Network). Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin also didn’t share too many interesting tidbits.

However, new head coaches Rex Ryan (Bills) and Todd Bowles (Jets) were at least a little more forthcoming. Here are a few highlights from their conversations with the media, with all links going to the Twitter accounts of reporters in attendance:

Rex Ryan:

  • It was the Eagles who initiated the LeSean McCoy trade talks, calling the Bills about a potential deal — 30 minutes later, it was essentially done, according to Ryan, who says he and other Buffalo decision-makers were “stunned” that the star running back was available.
  • Since joining the Bills, McCoy has been a “chief recruiter” for bringing in free agents, playing a notable role in the signing of fullback Jerome Felton.
  • Ryan praised his team’s backfield depth, mentioning Fred Jackson and Anthony Dixon multiple times without referring to Bryce Brown. Asked about Brown, Ryan joked, “I’m not going to learn his name until he holds onto the football.”
  • Recognizing that this could be his last shot at a head coaching job, Ryan said he wanted to land in the right spot, and he feels like Buffalo is that spot because of the team’s ownership. Ryan isn’t sure whether he would’ve taken another head coaching position if Doug Marrone hadn’t opted out of his deal with the Bills. According to Ryan, he was expecting to hear from the Bears after the Jets fired him, but he never did.

Todd Bowles:

  • The Jets had eight cornerbacks on their list of free agent targets and were hoping to sign two of them. In the end, the team landed three: Revis, Antonio Cromartie, and Buster Skrine.
  • While the secondary has been fortified, Bowles says the Jets’ defense still isn’t complete, mentioning the draft as a spot to address it. Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com interprets that to mean the team will be targeting a pass rusher early.
  • The Jets will do their “due diligence” on both Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, working out both players. The club figures to take the best player available with the sixth overall pick though — Bowles also jokingly suggested that he’d be open to trading the pick for multiple first-rounders.
  • With newly-acquired quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick not expected to be healthy, Geno Smith will head into the spring as the Jets’ No. 1 guy and will get the starter reps.
  • Bowles “definitely” expects Dee Milliner to be a Jet in 2015, suggesting the team doesn’t intend to trade the young cornerback.

AFC East Notes: Ryan, Jets, Bills, Jordan

October 17th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Patriots extended their first-place lead in the AFC East last night, escaping with a narrow 27-25 win over the Jets. In this morning’s round-up of East notes though, we’ll set aside the division-leading Pats and touch base with the three teams chasing them….

  • Last night’s loss to the Pats was the final nail in the coffin for the 2014 Jets, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who suggests that it’s just a matter of time until head coach Rex Ryan becomes the fall guy for the team’s poor season.
  • Meanwhile, Jets GM John Idzik‘s decision to pass on Darrelle Revis in the offseason never looked worse than it did last night, with the standout cornerback across the field helping New York’s division rivals earn a victory, writes Gary Myers of the New York Daily News.
  • In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Field Yates presents a rebuilding plan for the Jets as they look ahead to 2015.
  • The Bills gave up a future draft pick in the offseason to acquire running back Bryce Brown from the Eagles, so Brown is a little surprised at the lack of game action he has seen so far, as Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News details. “I expected to play and I expected to play right away,” said Brown, who has been a healthy scratch for every regular season game so far. “I still expected to play right away after preseason. Me not playing and inactive was a surprise.”
  • Defensive end Dion Jordan will report to the Dolphins on Monday after serving his second suspension, and both the team and agent Doug Hendrickson say he’s all set to return, tweets Jason Cole of Bleacher Report.

AFC Notes: Titans, Bortles, Bills, Raiders

July 8th, 2014 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Chris Johnson has never rushed for fewer than 1,047 yards in an NFL season, but with his cap number on the rise and the price of running backs around the league on the decline, the Titans decided to release him this offseason. As the new Jets running back tells Brian Costello of the New York Post, Tennessee’s decision will provide plenty of incentive for him to succeed in 2014 and beyond.

“Of course I have a chip on my shoulder,” Johnson said. “It gives me more motivation to continue to work hard and come here and be that guy I’ve been my whole career. I want to prove [the Titans] wrong. They released me and I want to let them know they made a mistake.”

Here’s more from around the AFC, including a couple items related to Johnson’s old team:

  • In a piece for the Tennessean, Jim Wyatt surveys the Titans‘ landscape at wide receiver, and looks specifically at the odds of journeyman Derek Hagan cracking the regular season roster. Like fellow Titans beat writer Paul Kuharsky, Wyatt suggests it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Tennessee add another receiver to the roster in August or even September.
  • No. 3 overall pick Blake Bortles is on board with the decision to sit in his rookie season, with Chad Henne starting at quarterback for the Jaguars. However, as he tells NFL Media’s Bryan Fischer, Bortles will be ready if he’s called upon earlier than expected.
  • The Bills will have some decisions to make soon on their running backs, writes Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, who says he thinks Buffalo wants Bryce Brown to develop into one of the team’s lead backs. If that’s the case, the futures of C.J. Spiller or Fred Jackson, who are both eligible for free agency in 2015, figure to be up in the air.
  • After an offseason which saw the Raiders add several veteran free agents, including some with championship experience, cornerback Taiwan Jones believes there’s a different feeling in Oakland heading into this season, according to Eddie Paskal of Raiders.com.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Bradford, Bortles, Lions

May 12th, 2014 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys didn’t come away from the 2014 draft having selected a new quarterback, which head coach Jason Garrett says is just fine. Garrett explained the thinking to Todd Archer of ESPN.com:

“The thing you’re concerned about is developing them for somebody else,” Garrett said. “You develop them for two, three, four years and he goes and plays for another football team. We don’t think that’s a worthwhile thing. There’s been a theory around the league, teams like Green Bay for years always took a guy late and if that player develops into something that was a good thing for their team or to trade to somebody else. … It’s a philosophy a lot of teams, they agree with that. But when you have other issues on your team I think it becomes a little bit of a luxury to do that.”

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • While there have been rumblings about possible Sam Bradford trade talks lately, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said on today’s Dan Patrick Show that the club has neither made or received any calls about Bradford’s availability (link via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).
  • If the Jaguars hadn’t selected Blake Bortles with the third overall pick, neither the Vikings or Titans would have drafted him, but the Cowboys would’ve considered it at No. 16 and the Cardinals would’ve pulled the trigger at No. 20, according to Albert Breer of the NFL Network (via Twitter).
  • The Lions strongly considered picking a quarterback on the third day of the draft, but the club’s targets came off the board before Detroit had a chance to select them, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com.
  • If the conditional pick traded to the Eagles by the Bills in this weekend’s Bryce Brown trade doesn’t change hands next year, it can become a 2016 third-rounder if Brown rushes for 800+ yards in either of the next two seasons, according to Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
  • Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News provides an interesting look at how safety Jimmie Ward became the 49ers’ man in the first round last Thursday.
  • Longtime Vikings college scouting director Scott Studwell resigned from the position following this weekend’s draft, and will transition into a new role within the organization, writes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune.
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