HEADLINES

Darion Griswold

NFL Workout Updates: 11/30/17

November 30th, 2017 at 8:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are the latest workout and visit updates, courtesy of veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer unless otherwise noted.

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Green Bay Packers

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

New Orleans Saints

Oakland Raiders

San Francisco 49ers

Saints Work Out Will Beatty, Jaye Howard

September 19th, 2017 at 8:45pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Saints auditioned edge rusher Lamarr Houston earlier today, but he wasn’t the only notable NFL veteran to work out for New Orleans today. Here’s who the Saints looked at on Tuesday, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (all Twitter links), Adam Caplan (Twitter links), and Howard Balzer (all Twitter links):

Beatty is perhaps the most high-profile name of the bunch, as the veteran offensive tackle 63 career starts under his belt (all for the Giants). Having served as a backup last season, Beatty would presumably play right tackle for the Saints, who are down to Senio Kelemete on the right side following starter Zach Strief‘s MCL sprain. Ola, too, would give New Orleans depth along their front five, although he doesn’t offer nearly the experience that does Beatty (only 19 starts).Ricky Jean-Francois (Vertical)

As Caplan noted, the Saints essentially worked out the majority of the top free agents on the defensive side of the ball, and that comes as no surprise. Despite throwing free agent funds and draft picks at its defense, New Orleans ranks dead last in yards, 31st in scoring, and 31st in DVOA through two weeks.

Douzable, Howard, Jean-Francois, Johnson, and Langford have all served as quality starters in the very recent future, and Douzable (49ers), Howard (Bears), and Jean-Francois (Packers) have each signed contracts earlier this offseason only to be released later. Wilson, meanwhile, repeatedly bounced on-and-off the Bears’ roster a year ago, and also has a previous stint in New Orleans.

Per Pelissero, the Saints’ Week 4 contest in London is a factor in the club working out such a long list of players right now. Given that New Orleans won’t have much time to audition veterans in the coming weeks, the team will likely update its emergency list now before heading across the pond.

Falcons Reduce Roster To 53

September 2nd, 2017 at 4:30pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Falcons have moved their roster to 53 players by making the following transactions:

Placed on commissioner exempt list:

Placed on reserve/suspended list:

Waived: 

Waived/injured:

Released with injury settlement:

Placed on IR:

Falcons Sign Six To Reserve/Futures Deals

February 8th, 2017 at 2:15pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Following a devastating Super Bowl loss, the Falcons have begun their offseason by inking six players to reserve/futures contracts, the club announced. The following players were inked to futures deals, which will go into effect on the first day of the 2017 league year, with players joining their respective club’s offseason 90-man rosters:

Atlanta had previously inked center Trevor Robinson (link) and wide receiver Anthony Dable (link) to futures contracts, bringing the club’s total to eight.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 12/27/16

December 27th, 2016 at 6:05pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Tuesday’s practice squad changes:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: DE Martin Ifedi, TE Darion Griswold

Baltimore Ravens

  • Signed: QB Dustin Vaughan

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: WR Antwan Goodley
  • Placed on P-Squad IR: TE Devon Cajuste

Los Angeles Rams

  • Signed: WR Brandon Shippen

New York Giants

  • Signed: QB Keith Wenning, RB Jacob Huesman, S Ryan Murphy

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: TE Eric Williams (Twitter links via Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times)
  • Placed on P-Squad IR: LB Kache Palacio

Workout Updates: Seahawks, Patriots, Ravens

December 27th, 2016 at 5:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Seahawks, with a below-average rushing attack and Thomas Rawls nursing a shoulder injury, worked out five free agent running backs Tuesday, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Stevan Ridley, Jonas Gray, Dan Herron, LaMichael James and Dominique Williams all auditioned for the club. The most established member of the group is Ridley, who has been available since Atlanta released him Nov. 23. The 27-year-old has just one appearance and three carries to his name this season and has seen his playing time sharply decline since a 1,263-yard campaign with New England in 2012. Gray, also an ex-Pat, has made little impact since averaging 4.6 yards per attempt on 89 carries in 2014, his rookie year. He hasn’t found an employer since the Jaguars waived him Aug. 17.

Along with those rushers, defensive back L.J. McCray visited the Seahawks, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. The Seahawks agreed to acquire McCray from the 49ers back in early September, but the deal fell through after he failed his physical. San Francisco then cut McCray, who hasn’t landed anywhere since.

More workouts from Tuesday:

  • The Patriots auditioned linebacker Arthur Brown, according to Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). Both the Jaguars and Jets have cut Brown this month. He entered the league in 2013 as Baltimore’s second-round pick.
  • Cornerbacks Tharold Simon and Steve Williams tried out for the Ravens, per ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Simon made nine appearances earlier this season with the Cardinals, who cut him last week. He’s better known for his 11-appearance, five-start tenure with Seattle from 2014-15. Williams, meanwhile, moved on and off the Rams’ roster multiple times this year. He has totaled six appearances this season (five with San Diego) after playing in 14 games with the Chargers and intercepting two passes last year.
  • The Falcons worked out three tight ends – Orson Charles, Darion Griswold and Joel Ruiz – and defensive end Martin Ifedi, reports Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com (Twitter link). Griswold and Ifedi ended up signing with their practice squad.
  • The Dolphins also took a look at the aforementioned Tharold Simon, who joined fellow corner Demetrius McCray and two tight ends – Gabe Hughes and Chris Pantale – tweets Caplan.
  • Tight end Rob Housler showcased himself to the Colts, relays Caplan (Twitter link). The five-year veteran has 109 catches, nearly all of which (105) came with Arizona from 2011-14.
  • The Eagles auditioned wide receiver Greg Ellingson, cornerback Tay Glover-Wright and Canadian Football League punter Richie Leone, according to Caplan (Twitter links).
  • Defensive ends Rufus Johnson and Rakim Cox worked out for the Lions (Twitter links via Caplan and Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
  • Linebackers Deon Lacey and Glenn Love tried out for the Cardinals, per Balzer (Twitter link).

AFC Workout Notes: Colts, Chiefs, Ravens, Pats

October 18th, 2016 at 7:36pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent receiver Aaron Dobson visited the Colts on Tuesday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Dobson has worked out for several teams and had multiple stints with the Lions since the Patriots cut him Sept. 3. The three-year veteran has 53 receptions and four touchdowns in 24 games (13 starts).

The Colts also worked out running back David Cobb (Twitter link). The former Titan has tried out for a bevy of clubs since Tennessee cut him in August. Cobb briefly caught on with the Steelers, who waived him from their practice squad last week.

Along with Dobson and Cobb, receiver Marcus Leak, tight ends Alex Bayer and Darion Griswold, and linebackers Trevor Reilly and James Vaughters tried out with the Colts, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today.

More workouts from the AFC (courtesy of Caplan, unless otherwise noted):

  • In addition to defensive end Kendall Reyes, whom they signed, the Chiefs tried out fellow DE Lynden Trail on Tuesday, according to Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter link). Joining them were linebackers Deion Barnes, Randell Johnson, and Kyle Kragen.
  • Veteran offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds worked out for the Ravens on Tuesday (Twitter link). Reynolds has been on the radar of a few teams since Los Angeles released him prior to Week 1. The 29-year-old has 42 appearances and 23 starts on his resume.
  • The Patriots tried out out two offensive tackles – Ryan Mack and Pearce Slater – as well as defensive end Jordan Williams, reports Doug Kyed of NESN (via Twitter).
  • Along with linebacker Quentin Gaus and tight end Steven Scheu, both of whom joined their practice squad, the Broncos worked out linebackers Lenny Jones, J.R. Tavai and Kyrie Wilson; defensive ends Deonte Gibson, Ian Seau and Josh Shirley; and safety Elijah Shumate (Twitter links via Balzer).
  • The Texans worked out safety Don Jones and a pair of cornerbacks, Denzel Rice and Charles Gaines (Twitter link).
  • Running back Mekale McKay and Jhurell Pressley tried out for the Jets, according to Balzer (Twitter link).
  • Three tight ends – Kivon Cartwright, Tim Semisch and Gannon Sinclair – worked out for the Titans, tweets Balzer.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/4/16

August 5th, 2016 at 4:46pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Browns placed offensive lineman Michael Bowie on the reserved/retired list and signed undrafted defensive lineman Kenton Adeyemi (UConn) on Friday, per Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com. Bowie’s only on-field experience came in 2013, when he he appeared in nine games and started eight with Seattle.
  • The Chiefs have waived nose tackle Alameda Ta’amu and defensive back Shannon Edwards, reports Terez A. Paylor of the Kansas City Star (Twitter links).
  • The Broncos have waived center/guard Sam Brenner with an injury designation and signed undrafted free agent Mathu Gibson (Wingate University) to replace him, writes Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post.
  • The Eagles have signed free agent wide receiver Deon Long, bringing their roster back to 90, Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets.
  • The Steelers have signed free agent receiver Cobi Hamilton and waived fellow wideout Canaan Severin, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. They also made a pair of moves at tight end, signing free agent Michael Cooper and cutting Jake Phillips (via Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, on Twitter).
  • The Seahawks have signed free agent fullback Jonathan Amosa, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.
  • The Colts have waived-injured tight end Darion Griswold, tweets Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star.
  • The Falcons have signed linebacker Dominique Tovell and released wideout Chris King, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  • The Lions have signed linebacker Chi Chi Araguzo and waived fellow LB Raphael Kirby, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).
  • The Chiefs have waived

Colts Notes: London, Fournette, Tulloch, Swoope

July 9th, 2016 at 11:32am CST by Ben Levine

While some Colts players are surely anticipating their trip to London this season, it’s just more of the same for running back Frank Gore. The 33-year-old will be making his third career appearance at Wembley Stadium, and he compiled 189 rushing yards and three touchdowns in his previous two games.

The veteran told Kevin Bowen of Colts.com of his first trip to London in 2010. While the player was in an unfamiliar setting, it didn’t take long for him to feel at home.

“I saw people wearing my jersey and I was surprised by that,” he said. “I don’t know how they pick what team they want to cheer for but they are into it.”

Winston Guy (then with the Jaguars) played in London in 2013, and the veteran safety distinctly remembers the energy of the fans.

“It felt like a Super Bowl,” he said. “They didn’t care who won. They were just excited…It’s different, especially for guys that have never been across the world. Definitely a good week of experience.”

Let’s check out some more notes out of Indianapolis…

  • LSU running back Leonard Fournette would be an excellent fit for the Colts in next year’s draft, writes Bowen. The team has a need for a young running back, and the Colts’ depth may take a hit if Gore decides to retire. Of course, Bowen also notes that the organization shouldn’t be reaching for Fournette at the top of the first round.
  • Bowen can’t envision the Colts pursuing former Lions linebacker Stephen Tulloch. General manager Ryan Grigson recently said that the team probably wouldn’t be adding more veteran talent, and the organization is also looking to make their defense younger. Considering the presence of Nate Irving and Sio Moore, signing Tulloch may not be the best use of the Colts limited cap space. The 31-year-old was released by the Lions earlier this week.
  • If the Colts end up seeking additional depth at other positions, Mike Chappell of Fox59 in Indy believes that receivers Brian Tyms or Josh Boyce could be out of a job.
  • After two years on the practice squad, it’s time for tight end Erik Swoope to make the active roster, writes Chappell. If the 24-year-old doesn’t prove that he’s worthy of the spot, rookie Darion Griswold could see himself sliding in behind Dwayne Allen and Jack Doyle.

Colts To Sign 21 Undrafted Free Agents

May 7th, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 5:45pm: The Colts announced one more undrafted free agent addition on Twitter: Purdue cornerback Frankie Williams.

The Colts also announced that they’ve waived tackle Davante Harris, who was signed as an undrafted free agent earlier this week.

MONDAY, 6:16pm: The Colts announced that they have agreed to terms with 21 undrafted free agents. Here’s the complete list of the team’s newest UDFAs:

  • WR Daniel Anthrop (Purdue)
  • DE Sterling Bailey (Georgia)
  • G Isiah Cage (Wisconsin-Eau Claire)
  • CB Daniel Davie (Nebraska)
  • RB Josh Ferguson (Illinois)
  • TE Darion Griswold (Arkansas State)
  • T Davante Harris (Appalachian State)
  • WR Marcus Leak (Maryland)
  • LB Curt Maggitt (Tennessee)
  • S Stefan McClure (California)
  • WR MeKale McKay (Arkansas)
  • TE Mike Miller (Taylor University)
  • CB Christopher Milton (Georgia Tech)
  • G Adam Redmond (Harvard)
  • WR Chester Rogers (Grambling State)
  • LB Anthony Sarao (USC)
  • DE Delvon Simmons (USC)
  • WR Tevaun Smith (Iowa)
  • LB Ronald Thompson (Syracuse)
  • CB Darius White (California)
  • S Andrew Williamson (Vanderbilt)