HEADLINES

Clyde Gates

Extra Points: Mexico City, Randle, Saunders

November 11th, 2015 at 11:31am CST by Luke Adams

A group of league officials will be in Mexico City through Wednesday to determine if Azteca Stadium is prepared to host an NFL game in 2016, tweets Albert Breer of NFL.com. Back in 2005, the Cardinals and 49ers faced off at Azteca in front of a crowd of 100K+, so the league knows that the interest is there.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NFL:

  • One team that had been interested in free agent running back Joseph Randle is no longer pursuing him now that he has received a four-game suspension, tweets Ed Werder of ESPN.com.
  • Bears practice squad wide receiver Jalen Saunders has been suspended four games for violating an undisclosed league policy, according to a source that spoke with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Saunders, a fourth-round pick in 2014, was one of several draft choices for the Jets under former GM John Idzik that did not pan out.
  • Another wideout, Clyde Gates, has also been suspended four games by the NFL, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Gates, currently a free agent, is also a former Jets receiver, though he started his career with the Dolphins after being selected in the fourth round of the 2011 draft.
  • Despite his stellar season so far, TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin will likely transition to the wide receiver position for the NFL draft, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) reports.
  • In a piece for CBSSports.com, former agent Joel Corry take a look at players in contract years who are helping or hurting their respective values as they approach free agency.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap also looks forward to free agency, examining a few quarterbacks who could hit the open market this winter, and identifying some potential trade candidates at the position.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Extra Points: Foster, Kitchen, Gregory

September 16th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

Texans running back Arian Foster said Tuesday while promoting a charity fundraiser that he’d like to finish his career in Houston, according to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter links). “I don’t want to put on another uniform,” Foster said. “It’s a business though. I’m a cog in a wheel.” The 29-year-old’s current contract expires after next season, so he’d have to re-sign with the Texans if he plans to play beyond age 30 in Houston.

Here’s more from around the NFL..

  • After bringing him in on Tuesday for a visit, the Texans aren’t immediately signing former Browns defensive tackle Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Wilson adds that Kitchen had a strong workout and that the team could always revisit the possibility of signing him.
  • While Dez Bryant‘s foot injury is dominating the headlines in Dallas this week, the Cowboys received more bad news on the injury front, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com, who tweets that promising rookie pass rusher Randy Gregory sustained a high ankle sprain and will be sidelined for four to six weeks.
  • Former Cleveland wide receiver Josh Lenz, who was waived during the Browns’ cutdown to 53 players this month, worked out for the Giants on Tuesday, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
  • The Cowboys liked what they saw in workouts with Nick Toon and Clyde Gates, but the staff felt better about going after Brice Butler, Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram tweets. Dallas acquired Butler from Oakland on Tuesday.

Cowboys Working Out Hakeem Nicks, Others

September 15th, 2015 at 10:20am CST by Luke Adams

With Dez Bryant sidelined for at least the next month, the Cowboys are considering adding some extra roster depth at wide receiver, and the team is bringing in several free agents today for workouts. According to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com, the Cowboys are taking a look at Hakeem Nicks, Nick Toon, Austin Pettis, and Clyde Gates.

Nicks, who spent his first five years with the Giants, posting multiple 1,000-yard seasons in New York, caught just 38 balls for 405 yards and four touchdowns last year in Indianapolis. He found a new home in free agency when he signed with the Titans earlier in the year, but Tennessee opted to keep just four wideouts on the roster to start the season, cutting Nicks earlier this month. The veteran wideout has since worked out for the Saints as well.

While Nicks is obviously the biggest name in the group, all four wideouts have NFL experience, and each has at least one season with double-digit receptions on his résumé. Outside of Nicks, Pettis has the most career catches (95), including 38 for the Rams in 2013.

If the Cowboys do add a veteran free agent to their wide receiving corps, I wouldn’t expect the new player to have a major role in the offense during Bryant’s absence. Instead, players like Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Devin Street, and Jason Witten figure to get a few more looks until the club’s No. 1 receiver returns.

Cowboys Cut A.J. Jenkins, Down To 53 Players

September 5th, 2015 at 5:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys have announced their Saturday roster moves, paring down from 75 players to 53 in preparation for the regular season. One of the players waived today by the Cowboys was former first-round wideout A.J. Jenkins, who signed with the team earlier in the offseason. With failed stops in San Francisco, Kansas City, and Dallas now under his belt, Jenkins’ NFL opportunities are likely running out.

Here are the players removed from Dallas’ active roster today, per a team release:

Waived:

  • QB Dustin Vaughan
  • QB Jameill Showers
  • RB Gus Johnson
  • RB Ben Malena
  • FB Ray Agnew
  • WR Clyde Gates
  • WR Nick Harwell
  • WR A.J. Jenkins
  • T Laurence Gibson
  • T John Wetzel
  • C Shane McDermott
  • C Ronald Patrick
  • DE Ben Gardner
  • DE Efe Obada
  • LB Donnie Baggs
  • LB Dakorey Johnson
  • CB Joel Ross
  • S Tim Scott

Waived/injured:

  • LB Ka’Lial Glaud
  • CB Rod Sweeting

Reserve/suspended:

  • DE Greg Hardy
  • LB Rolando McClain

Meanwhile, Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram weighs in on rumors from earlier in the day that linked running back Jonas Gray to the Cowboys. According to Williams (via Twitter), the Cowboys didn’t have interest in trading for Gray, but could be interested now that he has been cut by the Pats. The young back will become a free agent tomorrow unless he’s claimed on waivers or signs to a practice squad.

Titans Sign Andy Studebaker

August 17th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Connor J. Byrne

MONDAY, 10:12am: The Titans have offically signed Studebaker, waiving wide receiver Clyde Gates in the corresponding roster move, according to Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 7:43pm: The Titans and free agent linebacker Andy Studebaker have agreed to a deal, according to Terry McCormick of TitanInsider.com (Twitter link). Terms of the agreement have not yet been released.

Tennessee is familiar with Studebaker from his time with the AFC South rival Colts, whom he played for the last two seasons. Studebaker appeared in 24 regular-season games for the Colts and made 27 tackles. The 29-year-old earned praise from Pro Football Focus for his performance in 2014 – the website (subscription required) graded him as the Colts’ best defender against the run.

Prior to his time with the Colts, Studebaker spent five seasons with the Chiefs. He played college football at Division III Wheaton and was a sixth-round pick of the Eagles in 2008.

Audition Notes: Friday

January 16th, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Duron Carter is among the busier men in the NFL right now, as the CFL receiver has worked out for a litany of teams over recent weeks in an effort to secure a contract for 2015. According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (Twitter link), Carter has is likely finished with the audition circuit after visiting with the Browns earlier today. And despite earlier reports that the Vikings, home to Duron’s father Cris Carter for much of his career, were the favorites to land the young receiver, Goessling reports that Minnesota is the not high bidder for Carter at the moment. Here’s more workout news from around the league…

  • Carter isn’t the only CFL player making the NFL rounds, as defensive back Delvin Breaux met with both the Steelers (Twitter link via Howard Balzer) and the Jaguars (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN). Per Caplan (on Twitter), Breaux has several more visits lined up, and is scheduled to meet with the Browns, Dolphins, Falcons, and Saints, while the Eagles and Jets also maintain interest.
  • The Panthers brought in quarterback Dominique Davis for a workout, tweets Caplan. Davis, 25, was a reserve for the Falcons from 2012-13, and spent time with the Titans and Colts last season.
  • The Titans, like all teams, are aiming to fill out their offseason roster, and worked out the following players today in that vein, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link): LaVon Brazill, David Fluellen, Jacoby Ford, Clyde Gates, Phillip Hunt, Shawn Lemon, Joe Morgan, Keith Price, and Chase Rettig. Brazill is probably the most notable name among the list, as he was set to play a meaningful role in the Colts’ offense before being suspended and migrating to the CFL.
  • Before signing Mitchell Van Dyk yesterday, the Steelers also worked out fellow punters Tom Hornsey and Richie Leone, in addition to defensive tackle Kheeston Randall, per Wilson (via Twitter).
  • The Bills auditioned offensive lineman Matt Armstrong today, tweets Wilson.

Minor Moves: Ford, Gates, Hill

January 14th, 2015 at 7:43pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves..

  • The Titans signed wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Clyde Gates to futures contracts, according to Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Ford, a former fourth round choice, spent 2010-2013 with the Raiders. Gates, a former member of the Jets, worked out for the Raiders in December.
  • The Panthers announced (on Twitter) that they have signed wide receiver Stephen Hill to a futures deal. The Panthers’ other nine taxi squad players officially signed on Tuesday. Hill, the former second-round pick of the Jets, has yet to produce at the NFL level. Gang Green released Hill in 2014 despite having a thin receiving corps.
  • The Broncos will sign safety Ross Madison to a futures contract, according to Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post. Madison, 6-foot, 205 pounds, is a former Toledo standout. He went to camp with Washington last summer before landing in the Fall Experimental Football League.
  • The Bengals announced on Twitter that they have signed running back James Wilder Jr. to a futures deal.

AFC West Notes: Streater, Mathews, Workouts

December 11th, 2014 at 3:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Having carried 52 players instead of 53 since Tuesday, it appeared as if the Raiders were saving a roster spot for wide receiver Rod Streater, who received the designation to return earlier in the year, and is now eligible to come off the IR list. However, Tom Pelissero of USA Today reports (via Twitter) that Streater will be inactive for the rest of the season, rehabbing his foot injury and preparing for the 2015 campaign. That means that open spot on Oakland’s 53-man roster will likely be used on another player.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the AFC West….

  • After five up and down seasons in San Diego, Ryan Mathews will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at season’s end, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune believes the running back’s time left with the Chargers can be measured in weeks. In Acee’s view, Mathews’ injury history should have the team looking for other options, in spite of the 27-year-old’s obvious talents.
  • We previously heard that the Broncos worked out former Dolphins quarterback Seth Lobato this week, but the team auditioned a dozen more players, including five wide receivers, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. The full list: WR Chandler Jones, WR Jeremy Kelley, WR Alex Neutz, WR Kerry Taylor, WR Kyle Williams, RB Tim Cornett, RB Turner Petersen, TE Jake Byrne, TE Xavier Grimble, OL Bruce Doyle, OL Andrew Miller, and DE Shawn Lemon.
  • Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun passes along details on the Raiders‘ most recent visits and workouts, in a pair of tweets: Oakland tried out tight end running backs Terrance Cobb and Ronnie Wingo, as well as wide receiver Clyde Gates. The club also received a visit from running back David Fluellen.
  • The Chiefs worked out wide receiver Corbin Louks and defensive end Zach Thompson, Wilson adds in another tweet.

Jets Finalize 53-Man Roster

August 30th, 2014 at 3:48pm CST by Luke Adams

A few notable cuts by the Jets had already been reported today, with players like cornerback Dimitri Patterson and wide receiver Stephen Hill being cut loose by Rex Ryan‘s club. We rounded the team’s first 11 cuts in a pair of posts earlier today, but here, via a team press release, are the remaining 11 roster moves:

Cut:

Placed on reserve-PUP list: