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Calvin Pryor

This Date In Transactions History: Jets Reunite With Demario Davis

June 1st, 2020 at 12:05pm CST by Zachary Links

Three years ago today, the Jets swung a deal with the Browns to reunite with Demario Davis and move on from first-round draft bust Calvin Pryor all in one shot.

Davis didn’t see the field much in his 2012 rookie season with the Jets, but he cracked their starting lineup as an NFL sophomore and remained a Gang Green first-stringer through 2015. After that, he moved on to the Browns in free agency with a two-year, $8MM deal. As the Browns’ starting left inside linebacker, Davis racked up 99 tackles and two sacks, but then-Browns GM Sashi Brown seized an opportunity to trade a dependable veteran for a hard-hitting youngster who had yet to make his mark as a pro.

“Calvin is a young, experienced safety that has upside,” Brown said. “We are pleased to be able to add him to our defensive back room and just like every player we acquire, we expect him to come in with a hard-working mindset ready to compete. DeMario is a guy that we developed the utmost respect for in his time with our team, not only as a professional but also as a person. We appreciate all he did for our organization in his time in Cleveland.”

Pryor, known as the “Louisville Slugger,” didn’t have a clear-cut role in the Jets’ secondary after they used their first two picks in the 2017 draft on Jamal Adams and Marcus Maye. The Browns felt that Pryor could play behind their own rookie safety, Jabrill Peppers, and possibly find steady work in the rotation. Even though Pryor didn’t move the needle much as a pro, there was reason to believe – Pro Football Focus ranked him as a top 50 safety in his first two pro seasons and, even with his ’16 regression, he still ranked ahead of two safeties who were on the Browns’ roster at the time.

Unfortunately for Cleveland, Pryor did not pan out. The Louisville Slugger took a swing at teammate Ricardo Louis, prompting Hue Jackson to cut him before the season opener. Pryor moved on to the Jaguars, suffered an ankle injury in September, and got cut towards the end of the year. Pryor was on the workout circuit in 2018, but he never found his way back to the field.

Davis, meanwhile, exceeded all expectations. He started in all 16 of his games in 2017, per the usual, but delivered a team-high 97 solo tackles and a new career high of 5.0 sacks. And, get this – the Jets even got him to accept less than his scheduled ~$4MM salary for that year, making him an even better value. Fortunately, Davis got his payday the following year. Unfortunately for the Jets, it was with the Saints. After earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2019, Davis is gearing up for his third season with New Orleans.

NFL Workout Updates: 9/10/18

September 10th, 2018 at 6:35pm CST by Ben Levine

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

Arizona Cardinals

Atlanta Falcons

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans 

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Jets

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

NFL Workout Updates: 1/4/18

January 4th, 2018 at 8:18pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s NFL workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account:

Arizona Cardinals

  • G Greg Pyke (link)

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Indianapolis Colts

  • DE Evan Panfil (link)

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

  • LS Anthony Kukwa (link)

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Texans Work Out S Calvin Pryor

December 19th, 2017 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

The Texans worked out former Jets safety Calvin Pryor on Tuesday, according to a source who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Calvin Pryor (vertical)

Nicknamed the “Louisville Slugger,” former Jets GM John Idzik believed that Pryor would bring some old school hard hits to the Jets secondary as a longtime starter. Unfortunately, the first-round pick was a bust in New York. This offseason, Gang Green gave up on him and traded him the Browns. His time in Cleveland was short-lived after he got into a pre-practice fight with teammate Ricardo Louis. Pryor hoped for a restart with the Jaguars, but he was released after spending much of the year on IR.

Pryor may never fulfill his potential, but he could be a good future/reserve candidate in Houston. In 2016, Pryor finished out with 62 tackles and six passes defended in 15 games, so he’s shown that he at least has the talent to be on someone’s 53-man roster.

Jaguars Release S Calvin Pryor

December 2nd, 2017 at 10:48am CST by Ben Levine

Calvin Pryor‘s brief tenure with the Jaguars has come to an end. John Oehser of Jaguars.com reports (via Twitter) that the team has released the veteran safety. The team has promoted defensive end Carroll Phillips from the practice squad to take the open roster spot.

Calvin PryorPryor was claimed off waivers from the Browns in September, although he was placed on the injured reserve shortly thereafter. The 25-year-old was activated in mid-November, and he proceeded to play in two games for the Jaguars, compiling a single tackle. It was always going to be an uphill battle for Pryor to carve out anything more than a reserve role in Jacksonville, as both Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson are listed in the top-20 of Pro Football Focus‘ rankings of the NFL’s 91 eligible safeties. On the flip side there’s reason to believe that Pryor still has something left in the tank, as he finished the 2016 campaign with 62 tackles and six passes defended in 15 games for the Jets. With Pryor now out of the picture, Peyton Thompson and Jarrod Wilson will resume their roles as the first safeties off the bench.

Phillips, an undrafted rookie out of Illinois, joined the Jaguars during the offseason, and he caught on with the practice squad after being waived in early September. The defensive end showed plenty of pass-rushing ability during his collegiate career, as he finished the 2016 campaign with nine sacks and 19 tackles for loss.

Jaguars Activate WR Dede Westbrook

November 18th, 2017 at 11:01am CST by Ben Levine

Wide receiver Dede Westbrook is finally set to make his NFL debut. The Jaguars activated the rookie wideout from the reserve/injured list this morning, the team announced. The organization also activated defensive back Calvin Pryor from the reserve/injured list and promoted receiver Larry Pinkard from the practice squad. To make room on the roster, the team placed wideout Arrelious Benn on the injured reserve and waived defensive tackle Sheldon Day and receive Jaelen Strong.

Dede Westbrook (vertical)We learned in late October that the Jaguars had designated Westbrook for return. The fourth-rounder was initially placed on the injured reserve with a core injury prior to the start of the regular season. A former Oklahoma standout, Westbrook collected 80 receptions for 1,524 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, making him a finalist for the Heisman Trophy. Considering the fact that Allen Robinson was already out for the season and the team let go of two wideouts today, Westbrook could easily slide behind Marqise Lee and Allen Hurns on the depth chart.

Pryor was claimed off waivers from the Browns in September, although he was placed on the injured reserve shortly thereafter. As our own Dallas Robinson noted, Pryor will be stuck in a reserve role behind Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson, who both rank among the NFL’s top defensive backs, according to Pro Football Focus. Of course, the 25-year-old still has plenty in the tank, as he finished the 2016 campaign with 62 tackles and six passes defended in 15 games for the Jets.

Benn, a 2010 second-round pick, has been stuck towards the bottom of the depth chart during his two-year tenure in Jacksonville. After having hauled in 55 receptions during his first two seasons in the league, Benn only has six receptions for 128 yards and one touchdown in two seasons with the Jaguars (24 games). The 29-year-old was productive on special teams, however, compiling eight tackles over the past two years. Strong, a 2015 third-round pick, joined the Jaguars in mid-September after being waived by the Texans. He ultimately didn’t see the field for the Jaguars. Pinkard, a former undrafted free agent out of Old Dominion, has yet to get in an NFL game. Day, a 2016 fourth-round pick, was buried on the depth chart for the Jaguars, as the 23-year-old had only compiled three tackles and one sack in six games this season.

Jaguars To Bring DB Calvin Pryor Off IR

November 2nd, 2017 at 10:12am CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars have designated safety Calvin Pryor to return from injured reserve, according to Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link). Pryor becomes the second Jacksonville player scheduled to come off IR, joining rookie wideout Dede Westbrook.Calvin Pryor (vertical)

Pryor is now eligible to practice immediately, although he isn’t able to return to game action until Week 10. The NFL’s IR/designated to return rules stipulate an eight-week absence, so Pryor will have to wait one more week to come back, even if he’s fully healthy after suffering an ankle injury earlier this year. Jacksonville has a three-week window in which it can place Pryor on its active roster, or else he must stay on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.

If he is activated, Pryor will come to the Jaguars’ roster as a clear backup. The Jaguars rank first in DVOA against the pass, and the club’s safeties — Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson — are a large part of that effort, as both rank among the NFL’s top 25 defensive backs, per Pro Football Focus. As such, Pryor will become a reserve safety (or, given his playing style, perhaps a dime linebacker) and special teams contributor.

The Jaguars claimed Pryor off waivers from the Browns in September after the former first-round pick secured his ouster in Cleveland by getting into a fight with wide receiver Ricardo Louis. In Jacksonville, he reunites with executive John Idzik, who originally drafted Pryor as the Jets’ general manager in 2014.

Jaguars S Calvin Pryor Placed On IR

September 18th, 2017 at 1:06pm CST by Zachary Links

This has been a rough month for Calvin Pryor. On Monday, the Jaguars placed the safety on injured reserve with an ankle injury. Calvin Pryor (vertical)

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It’s not immediately clear whether Pryor’s injury is a season-ender or if he could conceivably return during the season. Even if Pryor can recover in time for a midseason return, the Jaguars may or may not be willing to burn an IR-DTR slot on him.

Pryor, a former first-round pick of the Jets, was jettisoned to the Browns this offseason in a trade for linebacker Demario Davis. The Browns planned to give him significant playing time, but he was cut earlier this month after getting into a fight with teammate Ricardo Louis. The Jaguars claimed him the next day with the hope that he could help provide support for starting strong safety Barry Church. Instead, he’ll have to focus his energy on recovering – potentially with an eye on playing again next season.

Jaguars Claim DB Calvin Pryor From Browns

September 8th, 2017 at 3:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jaguars have claimed safety Calvin Pryor off waivers from the Browns, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (Twitter link).Calvin Pryor (vertical)

Cleveland, which originally acquired Pryor from the Jets earlier this year, waived the former first-round pick on Thursday after he reportedly go into a pre-practice fight with teammate Ricardo Louis. Now entering his age-25 season, Pryor has started 38 games during his three-year career. After grading relatively highly (top-50 safety) during his first two seasons in the NFL, Pryor declined in 2016, at least according to Pro Football Focus.

In Jacksonville, Pryor will reunite with current Jaguars executive John Idzik, who drafted Pryor as New York’s general manager in 2014. Pryor will be a clear reserve with the Jaguars, as the club has invested heavily in free agent safeties during the past two offseasons. Still, Pryor could potentially play a role as a dime safety (or even linebacker, given his playing style) alongside Barry Church and Tashaun Gipson (another former Brown).

The Jaguars will now take on Pryor’s guaranteed base salary of $1.588MM, while the Browns will clear that same total from their books.

Browns To Cut S Calvin Pryor

September 7th, 2017 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are expected to release safety Calvin Pryor, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Pryor got into a fight with wide receiver Ricardo Louis before practice, prompting Cleveland to show him the door. He is not a vested veteran, so he will be subject to waivers."<strong

Coach Hue Jackson has spoken about changing the Browns’ locker room culture and he demonstrated today that he will not tolerate players stepping out of line, even when it’s someone as significant as Pryor. The former first-round pick was projected to open up the season as the Browns’ starting strong safety.

The Browns acquired Pryor from the Jets in early June in exchange for linebacker Demario Davis. At the time, Pryor said he was ecstatic to have a chance at a tabula rasa.

“I feel like it was a great opportunity – have a fresh start, learn a new system and buy into a new culture,” the safety said over the summer. “I had a feeling [with the Jets] drafting two safeties, but I can’t control that. I’m excited. I can’t thank (the Browns) enough.”

So much for the new beginning. Pryor is now out of work just days before most teams start their seasons.

The “Louisville Slugger” ranked as a top-50 safety in the NFL in his first two seasons, per the metrics at Pro Football Focus. Last year, however, he declined in PFF’s rankings.

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