HEADLINES

Chris Watt

Colts Announce Finalized 2023 Coaching Staff

March 8th, 2023 at 9:55pm CST by Ely Allen

New Colts head coach Shane Steichen has officially put the finishing touches on his first NFL coaching staff, according to Colts.com writer JJ Stankevitz. We’ve covered a number of staff announcements like the hiring of offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter and the retaining of defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, but below are any moves from the announcement that we haven’t already reported on.

On the offensive side of the ball, we’ve covered most moves already. One piece of new information is that offensive quality control coach Brian Bratton has been retained in the same position for 2023. Bratton works primarily with wide receivers, assisting wide receivers coach Reggie Wayne, who was also retained. Joining them and the rest of the offensive staff will be former Notre Dame graduate assistant Chris Watt. Watt was previously the offensive line coach at Tulane in 2021 and will serve as assistant offensive line coach for the Colts under new offensive line coach Tony Sparano Jr.

We also received information that most of the defensive staff will be retained alongside Bradley. Linebackers coach and run game coordinator Richard Smith and defensive backs coach Ron Milus were both blocked by Indianapolis from interviewing for lateral moves and will stay in place in 2023. Their second-in-commands will both remain in place, as well, as assistant linebackers coach Cato June and assistant defensive backs coach Mike Mitchell were also retained. Similarly, defensive line coach Nate Ollie and assistant defensive line coach Matt Raich were kept on staff for next season. Lastly, Brent Jackson, who served last year as the team’s 2022 Tony Dungy Defensive Coaching Fellow, was promoted to defensive quality control assistant.

On special teams, it was confirmed that newly hired former Notre Dame special teams coordinator Brian Mason will serve as the Colts’ own special teams coordinator next year, despite this being his first NFL coaching position. Last year’s assistant special teams coach Joe Hastings will help Mason after being retained for 2023. Lastly, Indianapolis plans on hiring two Tony Dungy Diversity Fellows for next season, which it will announce at a later date.

And, with that, we have the first NFL coaching staff under Steichen. He retains much of what was put together in former head coach Frank Reich‘s last year but with a few of his own touches. Now Steichen can focus on roster-building as free agency and the draft loom on the horizon.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/26/17

July 26th, 2017 at 5:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Wednesday’s minor moves:

  • The Saints have waived running back Marcus Murphy and moved offensive lineman Chris Watt to the reserved/retired list, tweets Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com. Murphy, whom the Saints chose in the seventh round of the 2015 draft, served almost exclusively as a return man over his first two years, but he became superfluous to the team thanks to its offseason additions of Ted Ginn Jr. and Alvin Kamara. Watt signed with the Saints just over a month ago and looked like a candidate to function as interior O-line depth. That won’t be the case, though. The 26-year-old entered the NFL as a third-rounder of the Chargers in 2014 and started in eight of 17 appearances with them through last season.
  • The Jets have cut wide receiver Devin Street, per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram (on Twitter). New York will use Street’s old roster spot on Lucky Whitehead, whom it claimed off waivers from Dallas on Wednesday. A three-year veteran, Street was teammates with Whitehead when the two were on the Cowboys in 2015. Street was a member of the Colts last season, when he totaled five appearances and one catch. Indianapolis cut Street after the season, and both the Patriots and Jets have since waived him after short stints.
  • Safety Ricardo Allen has signed his exclusive rights free agent tender with the Falcons, who have waived undrafted offensive lineman Cam Keizer. Allen, a fifth-rounder in 2014, has emerged as an integral cog in Atlanta, having started in 30 of 31 appearances and picking off five passes since debuting in 2015. He racked up 90 tackles and two picks across 16 starts and a team-high 1,101 defensive snaps last year.
  • The Vikings have signed cornerback Sam Brown and waived offensive tackle Arturo Uzdavinis. Brown spent some time last year with the Ravens, who signed him as an undrafted free agent from Missouri Western State, but didn’t see any action. Uzdavinis just signed with the Vikings on Monday. They quickly became the fifth former team for the 2016 undrafted free agent from Tulane, who previously spent time with the Texans, Bears, Jaguars and Lions.
  • The Patriots have added defensive end Caleb Kidder, an undrafted rookie from Montana. Kidder previously had a brief stint with Minnesota, which cut him last week.

Saints Sign Chris Watt

June 19th, 2017 at 4:41pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Saints have signed center Chris Watt, Larry Holder of NOLA.com was among those to report (on Twitter).

Chris Watt

Watt, whom the Saints auditioned last week, didn’t play anywhere last season after the Chargers placed him on the physically unable to perform list in late August. The then-San Diego franchise ended up waiving Watt with a failed physical designation in November.

Prior to last season, Watt played in 17 games and started eight for the Chargers between 2014-15. Most of those appearances (12) and starts (five) came during Watt’s rookie year, after the Chargers selected the ex-Notre Dame standout in the third round of the draft.

There’s an outside chance Saints center Max Unger will miss the start of the season, so the 26-year-old Watt could crack their Week 1 lineup if he impresses over the summer. For now, Watt joins Senio Kelemete and Jack Allen as the Saints’ center-capable options behind Unger.

Saints Working Out LB Mike Morgan, DT Tony McDaniel

June 14th, 2017 at 9:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints are are auditioning linebacker Mike Morgan and defensive tackle Tony McDaniel during their minicamp, according to Herbie Teope of NOLA.com and Joel Erickson of the Advocate (Twitter link).Mike Morgan

Morgan, 29, was nominally the Seahawks’ starting strongside linebacker in 2016, but because Seattle spent so much time in nickel, Morgan’s defensive snaps were limited. Morgan’s contributions were further restricted by injury last year, as he spent eight weeks on injured reserve while dealing with a sports hernia. All told, Morgan played only 138 defensive snaps and posted just 10 tackles. His only other known interest this offseason came from the Jaguars, for whom he auditioned last month.

New Orleans has already augmented its linebacking corps this offseason, as the club signed free agents Manti Te’o and A.J. Klein while using a third-round pick on Florida’s Alex Anzalone. Those three ‘backers will add to an already crowded unit that also includes Craig Robertson, Dannell Ellerbe, Stephone Anthony, and Nathan Stupar.

Like Morgan, McDaniel also spent the 2016 campaign with Seattle, and has in fact played for the Seahawks in three of the past four years. The 32-year-old McDaniel played on 45% of Seattle’s defensive snaps a season ago, racking up 43 tackles and grading as the league’s No. 52 interior defender in the process, per Pro Football Focus. McDaniel could have a path to playing time in New Orleans alongside Sheldon Rankins, especially if Nick Fairley‘s heart condition restricts his ability.

Other notable players working out for the Saints this week include offensive lineman Chris Watt, kicker Patrick Murray, and long snapper Thomas Gafford, per Teope.

NFL Workout Updates: 12/6/2016

December 6th, 2016 at 8:22pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Broncos worked out a dozen players today, including quarterbacks Sean Renfree and T.J. Yates, running backs Bernard Pierce and Zac Brooks, and wide receivers Keshawn Martin and Corey Washington, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Yates, 29, has only started seven games during his regular season career, but has somewhat miraculously managed two playoff starts, both for Houston. Each of the tryouts conducted by Denver today were for futures contract consideration, tweets Mike Klis of 9NEWS.

Here’s more from the workout front:

  • Searching for emergency interior line options, the Patriots tried out OL James Stone and Chris Watt today, reports Mike Reiss of ESPN.com (Twitter links), who adds that New England also took a look at wide receiver Dez Stewart. As Reiss wrote earlier today, the Pats could be forced to make a move at WR following an injury to Danny Amendola, and Stewart could potentially fill that void.
  • The Chiefs, dealing with injuries to Dontari Poe and Jaye Howard (placed on IR), auditioned veteran defensive lineman Kenrick Ellis and Montori Hughes, per Caplan (Twitter link). Kansas City also worked out inside linebackers James Burgess and Darnell Sankey on Saturday, Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star tweets.
  • The Packers tried out tight end Kennard Backman, quarterback Mike Bercovici, wide receiver Mitch Mathews, and running back Daryl Virgies, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Backman is familiar with Green Bay, as the Packers chose him in the sixth round of the 2015 draft.
  • Defensive back Dezmen Southward, defensive end Josh Boyd, and linebacker Ron Thompson all worked out for the Raiders today, per Caplan (Twitter link). Southward was a third-round pick by the Falcons in 2014.
  • The Buccaneers are working out 6’4″, 220-pound wide receiver Joe Hills, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. He was the 2016 Arena League offensive Player of the Year for the Jacksonville Sharks.
  • Defensive lineman Frank Beltre and defensive back Tony Burnett were among the players that tried out for the Vikings today, according to Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune (Twitter link).
  • The Jets worked out long snappers Zac Triner, Rick Lovato, Daniel Dillon, and Kameron Canaday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. New York’s current long snapper is veteran Tanner Purdum.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/15/16

November 15th, 2016 at 6:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson
  • The Cardinals announced re-signed punter Drew Butler and cut Ryan Quigley. Butler was previously released with an injury settlement by Arizona on October 4 following a calf issue, but now he’s back in the fold.
  • The Chargers have waived center Chris Watt with a failed physical designation, a source tells Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union Tribune (Twitter link). Injuries limited the former third-round pick to 17 games in his first two years and prevented him from taking the field so far in 2016. Watt, who had been on the PUP list, will revert to IR if he clears waivers.
  • The Vikings signed offensive tackle Rashod Hill to the 53-man roster off of the Jaguars‘ practice squad, as agent Brett Tessler tweets. Hill will help provide depth in the wake of Jake Long‘s season-ending injury, which has landed him on injured reserve.
  • The Bears announced that they’ve promoted offensive lineman Cornelius Edison from the practice squad. He’ll take the place of OL Kyle Long, who was officially placed on IR.
  • The Cowboys are promoting wide receiver Vince Mayle from the practice squad to the active roster, according to a tweet from his agents at Reign Sports. Mayle is a former fourth-round selection of the Browns.
  • The Colts announced that they have claimed linebacker Deon King off waivers from the Chargers and waived wide receiver Marcus Leak.

Chargers Move Roster To 83

August 29th, 2016 at 8:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Chargers have dropped their roster to 83 players, as the club announced several roster moves on top of the already-reported release of James Jones and waiver claim of running back Gus Johnson. San Diego will still need to make eight cuts before 3pm Tuesday.

Placed on reserve/PUP:

Waived:

Watt, a former third-round pick, will miss the first six weeks of the season before being eligible to return to the field. The 26-year-old has started eight games during his first two years in the league, but with free agent signee Matt Slauson poised to start at center, Watt will merely serve as depth unless an injury strikes.

FA Rumors: Chargers, Jeffery, Steelers, Bears

March 22nd, 2016 at 12:27am CST by Luke Adams

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco says that he views Chris Watt as the team’s starting center, but he will not rule out making a move to improve at the position, ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes. Although Telesco didn’t mention them by name, it sounds possible that the Bolts could consider free agent centers Stefen Wisniewski or Manny Ramirez. As of this writing, the Chargers have less than $14MM in cap space for 2016, per ESPN and OverTheCap.com.

Here’s more on free agency from around the league:

  • Bears head coach John Fox and Jets owner Woody Johnson each discussed their franchised players on Monday, and the differences in their comments were noticeable. As Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details, Fox said on ESPN’s NFL Live that the Bears are actively working on a longer-term deal for wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.
  • Meanwhile, Johnson said he won’t be “disappointed” if defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson remains in New York going forward, and was evasive when asked whether the Jets have made him a fair extension offer. “I’m not going to characterize the offer,” Johnson said, per Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin. “If we made him an offer, he didn’t accept it. Fair is a subjective thing. It’s got to be acceptable to him and to us.” While Wilkerson technically remains a free agent, Jeffery recently signed his franchise tender, taking him off the market.
  • Could the Steelers add a cornerback in free agency? Coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t sound optimistic about the idea, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. “I don’t know that there is one that’s viable at this juncture in free agency,” the Steelers coach said. “We are comfortable with the guys that we have from that perspective.”
  • The Broncos continue to have interest in re-signing receiver and return man Jordan Norwood, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Renck adds that free agent special-teamer Omar Bolden is set to visit John Fox and the Bears this week.
  • The Giants were the biggest spenders of this year’s free agent period, signing Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, and Damon Harrison to mega-deals early in the new league year. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examines New York’s free agent decisions and wonders whether the club will come to regret its big moves.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/9/15

November 9th, 2015 at 6:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves from around the NFL:

  • The Buccaneers activated Demar Dotson from IR-DTR, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. He’ll be taking the place of cornerback Tim Jennings, who has been waived, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
  • The Lions were awarded defensive end C.J. Wilson off waivers from Raiders, as Wilson tweets. He’ll have a place on the roster now that the Lions have placed Andre Fluellen on injured reserve, Wilson tweets.
  • The Eagles (on Twitter) announced that they have officially re-signed linebacker Emmanuel Acho.
  • The Browns waived linebacker Jayson DiManche and defensive back De’Ante Saunders, Wilson Post tweets. DiManche, 25, was signed by Cleveland off of the Chiefs’ taxi squad in October. For his career, DiManche has appeared in 29 total games, mostly with the Bengals.
  • In need of a third reserve offensive lineman for Monday night, the Chargers placed center Chris Watt (shoulder) on IR while promoting guard Craig Watts from the taxi squad, as Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego tweets. Watt, a third-round pick in 2014, has yet to really produce at the NFL level thanks to various injuries.
  • The Chiefs cut wide receiver Frankie Hammond, Wilson tweets.

AFC West Notes: Hillman, Allen, Jackson

August 2nd, 2014 at 10:10am CST by Matt Feminis

Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman ended last season fourth on the depth chart, but he’s rebounded with an impressive, encouraging offseason, reports NFL.com’s Chris Wesseling. Hillman’s position coach Eric Studesville praised the third-year back, saying, “From when we started this spring in April forward, he has been unbelievable. He’s a completely different guy in the best possible way and I’m just excited about what he’s doing, how he’s approaching it, how he’s making plays on the field.”

Here’s a few more AFC West links:

      • The Broncos need to improve in the punt return game, writes the Denver Post’s Troy Renck, who takes a look at the players vying for the role, including Isaiah Burse and Jordan Norwood. The team can also use veteran Wes Welker if the “safe” option is the best option.
      • Donnie Avery had just 40 catches and two touchdowns in his first season with the Chiefs last year, but he remains the team’s best option to be the No. 2 receiver opposite Dwayne Bowe, says ESPN’s Adam Teicher.
      • The Chiefs’ offensive line is the focus of team reporter BJ Kissel, who writes about the impressive camp third-year blocker Jeff Allen is having. Allen is proving versatile and effective, and his teammates are noticing. Says Pro-Bowl pass rusher Tamba Hali: “I’m very impressed with [Allen]. He’s able to play guard and he’s able to play tackle and I’m going against him and he’s stoned me a couple times. I’m very impressed with him.”
      • There’s no more ambiguity about the type of offensive line the Raiders want to field, writes InsideBayArea.com’s Jerry McDonald, who says rookie guard Gabe Jackson “represents a changing of the guard for the Raiders in ways that go beyond inserting the rookie third-round draft pick into the starting lineup.” Jackson has work to do in pass protection, but the Raiders envision the third-rounder as a powerful road grader with long-term starter potential.
      • The Chargers’ depth chart for their first preseason game looks like this. Notre Dame rookie Chris Watt will start at right guard, while free-agent acquisition Donald Brown is listed as the primary kick returner.
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