HEADLINES

Daryl Worley

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/8/20

December 8th, 2020 at 3:52pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Washington Football Team

  • Signed to active roster off practice squad: TE Marcus Baugh

Josh Norman Tests Positive For COVID-19

November 15th, 2020 at 11:46am CST by Sam Robinson

Nov. 15: Luckily for Norman, he is asymptomatic, as Ed Werder of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Norman understands that he cannot play today due to league protocols, but he says he feels well enough to do so. The team hopes to have him back shortly.

Nov. 14: The Bills have run into a COVID-19 issue ahead of their trip to Arizona. Josh Norman tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the team, and this will result in at least four Bills not traveling for their Week 10 game.

Norman, cornerback Levi Wallace, safety Dean Marlowe and tight end Tyler Kroft landed on Buffalo’s reserve/COVID-19 list. The latter three players — deemed as high-risk close contacts — must isolate for five days.

As of now, Sunday’s Bills-Cardinals game remains on as scheduled. The team is set to travel to Arizona later this afternoon. Defensive assistant Leonard Johnson will join the aforementioned quartet of players in not making the trip to the desert.

This is not the first time Saturday news of a Bills positive test emerged to weaken one of their position groups. Dawson Knox tested positive for COVID-19 late last month, and the Bills placed two other tight ends on their COVID list that day. The NFL did not adjust the game time of the Bills’ rematch with the Jets. The league has not changed a game time because of COVID-19 since Week 7. With virus numbers skyrocketing around the country, similar challenges to the one that prompted the NFL to move a Bills-Titans game to a Tuesday night appear on the horizon.

Norman signed a one-year, $6MM deal with the Bills — one of several ex-Panthers to rejoin Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane in Buffalo this offseason — but began the season on IR. He returned for three games but has missed the past three due to a hamstring injury. He had practiced all week and was expected to return against Arizona, however. The Bills also recalled Wallace from IR earlier this season.

They will face the Cardinals’ No. 1-ranked offense with a depleted secondary. The team will promote some reinforcements, however. The Bills elevated Daryl Worley, Darron Lee, cornerback Dane Jackson, wide receiver Jake Kumerow and safety Josh Thomas from their practice squad.

Bills Add Daryl Worley To Practice Squad

November 3rd, 2020 at 2:23pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bills have signed cornerback Daryl Worley to the practice squad, per a club announcement. To make room, they dropped fellow corner Lafayette Pitts. 

Worley, a 6’1″ veteran defensive back, was most recently with the Cowboys. He notched 14 tackles and one pass defensed with Dallas, but the fifth-year pro is best known for his time with the Panthers and Raiders. All in all, he has five interceptions, 35 passes defensed, and 249 total tackles across his NFL career. Now, the Bills will have him on call as a taxi squad player.

Worley’s history with GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott likely played a role in the deal. This isn’t the first time that their affinity for ex-Panthers has influenced the roster. In the last year, they’ve also signed old pals Josh Norman, Mario Addison, Daryl Williams, Vernon Butler, and A.J. Klein.

At the time of his release from the Cowboys, Pro Football Focus slotted Worley as the No. 84 CB in the NFL, out of 119 full-timers.

Bills Host CB Daryl Worley On Visit

October 31st, 2020 at 5:03pm CST by Sam Robinson

Daryl Worley may have a chance to land on his feet quickly. Shortly after the Cowboys released the veteran cornerback, he made a visit to Buffalo to meet with Bills brass, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

The Cowboys cut Worley on Wednesday, doing so after attempting to trade the fifth-year defender. Had Worley been jettisoned a week later, he would have been subject to waivers. But because Worley was axed before the trade deadline, he moved directly to free agency because of his vested-veteran status.

Considering many other moves the Bills have made this offseason, the Worley-Buffalo connection is obvious. The Panthers drafted Worley and did so when current Bills GM Brandon Beane and HC Sean McDermott were still with Carolina. In this offseason alone, the Bills have signed ex-Panthers Josh Norman, Mario Addison, Daryl Williams, Vernon Butler and A.J. Klein.

A 2016 third-round pick, Worley played two seasons with the Panthers before being waived after a spring 2018 arrest that produced felony charges. After landing briefly with the Eagles, Worley spent the 2018 and ’19 seasons with the Raiders.

Buffalo will play Week 8 without Norman, who began the season on IR. The recently signed veteran is battling a hamstring injury. The Bills activated Levi Wallace off their IR list Saturday, helping to bolster their interestingly suspect pass defense. Buffalo ranks 18th in pass defense DVOA.

Worley made seven appearances (four starts) for the Cowboys this season. Dallas cleaned house on defense this week, releasing Worley and Dontari Poe and trading Everson Griffen. Pro Football Focus slots Worley as its No. 84 corner (out of 119 full-timers) this season. Worley passing six COVID-19 tests would allow him to practice with the Bills next week, should they move to sign him to their active roster or practice squad.

Cowboys To Cut Dontari Poe, Daryl Worley

October 28th, 2020 at 3:02pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys continue to cut bait on veteran defenders. After failing in efforts to trade Dontari Poe and Daryl Worley, the Cowboys will release both, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Owner Jerry Jones said that Poe’s release was due to his weight and lack of performance, and he declined to say whether Poe’s decision to kneel during the playing of the national anthem before games was a consideration (via Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com).

These moves come a day after the team shipped Everson Griffen to the Lions for a conditional draft pick. While the Cowboys are a half-game out of first place in the woeful NFC East, they are coming off one of their worst performances in many years. And Dallas’ defense will feature less experience because of it.

Poe and Worley signed with the Cowboys this offseason. A former Pro Bowl defensive tackle, Poe signed a two-year deal worth $4.5MM. This release will tag the Cowboys with more than $1MM in dead money. The Cowboys added Worley on a one-year, $3MM pact and will be hit with over $1MM in dead money from this transaction as well.

A former Chiefs first-round pick, Poe has started all seven of the Cowboys’ games this season. Worley has been a first-unit player in four contests, with the Cowboys dealing with injuries at cornerback. Dallas’ defense ranks 30th in DVOA, setting the stage for one of the most disappointing seasons in modern NFL history.

While Worley has allowed 10 receptions on 12 targets, he has graded as the Cowboys’ second-best corner — in the view of Pro Football Focus. Though, that assessment still places the journeyman outside the top 80 at the position. Worley spent two seasons with the Panthers and two with the Raiders prior to his Cowboys agreement.

Poe has been on four teams now, and his two Pro Bowl appearances came early during his Chiefs tenure. The Panthers declined his 2020 option, sending the 30-year-old back to free agency. The Cowboys signed Poe and Gerald McCoy this offseason. Prior to the midway point, they will be without both and Trysten Hill from their defensive tackle rotation.

Cowboys To Trade Or Cut Dontari Poe, Daryl Worley

October 28th, 2020 at 9:39am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys told defensive tackle Dontari Poe and cornerback Daryl Worley they’ll be released if a trade cannot be completed today, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter).

Poe, a 346-pound force, spent 2018 and 2019 with the Panthers before his 2020 option was declined. That led him to Dallas, where he scored a two-year deal worth up to $10.5MM. Since then, Poe has started seven games with just seven total stops. According to Pro Football Focus, he has just one hurry to his credit this year. It’s a far cry from what Dallas expected of Poe, who made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2014 while he was with the Chiefs. And, last year, he managed four sacks from the interior, despite being limited to just eleven regular season games.

Worley, meanwhile, has allowed ten catches on 12 targets. Prior to his one-year deal with the Cowboys, Worley started in most of his 25 games across two seasons. Last year, in 15 contests, he notched 58 tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.

The trade deadline won’t come until Nov. 3, but the Cowboys are looking to get an early jump on things by moving — or dropping — the duo. So far this year, the Cowboys have averaged 34.7 points allowed per game, positioning them as the worst defense in the league.

NFC East Notes: Giants, Cowboys, Parks

September 8th, 2020 at 4:11pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants are planning for Logan Ryan to help at cornerback and safety. Joe Judge confirmed Ryan will play multiple spots, and Dan Duggan of The Athletic notes the former Patriots and Titans cornerback is expected to work in a hybrid safety-slot corner capacity (subscription required). Ryan played just 22 snaps at safety — as opposed to 855 in the slot — last season, but late in his free agency stay he began to market himself as a safety. Ryan’s 113 tackles last year led all cornerbacks and would have ranked fifth among safeties. Giants DC Patrick Graham was with the Patriots during three of Ryan’s four New England seasons. Second-round pick Xavier McKinney was set to play this role, but the Alabama product suffered a broken foot. McKinney had surgery late last month and is expected to miss at least two months. But he may well return to team with Ryan later this season.

Here is the latest from the NFC East:

  • Shifting to another team’s safety situation, the Cowboys did not view Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as a starter, Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News tweets. Instead of keeping the seventh-year veteran around as a backup, Dallas cut bait. Darian Thompson is expected to start alongside Xavier Woods, but Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie, Daryl Worley and rookie Reggie Robinson could see time there if necessary. The Cowboys could recoup $1MM if Clinton-Dix signs elsewhere via the offset language in his contract, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Players like Josh McCown, Johnathan Cyprien, Dion Jordan and Matt Moore accepted jobs on teams’ practice squads in recent days. But Jon Halapio did not want to play such a role. The veteran center declined a spot on the Giants‘ P-squad, Duggan tweets. The Giants brought Halapio back last week but cut him Saturday. Halapio, who worked out for the Texans last month, is healthy after suffering an Achilles tear in Week 17. Halapio began the past two seasons as the Giants’ first-string center; he started 15 games last season.
  • Aldon Smith collected a $100K bonus from the Cowboys, per Archer. That brings his total in 2020 roster bonuses to $440K. Smith, who has not played since the 2015 season, agreed to a $910K base salary that pays out just more than $40K in per-game roster bonuses. If Smith were to reach eight sacks, he would collect $500K, Archer adds. For 10 sacks, the former All-Pro would receive a $1MM bump. In the event of a less likely 14-sack season, that total rises to $2MM.
  • The Eagles placed Will Parks on IR on Sunday. The veteran safety suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out up to six weeks, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets. This year, teams can activate players off IR after just three missed games. Though, Parks’ timetable may run into October. The Eagles signed the former Bronco in March.

Cowboys Sign CB Daryl Worley

April 29th, 2020 at 10:06am CST by Zachary Links

The Cowboys have signed Daryl Worley to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. The cornerback profiles as a smart low-risk and potentially high-reward addition for 2020. Terms of the deal are not yet known, but Worley probably came at a reasonable rate. 

[RELATED: Eagles Tried To Trade Up For CeeDee Lamb]

Worley signed with the Eagles in 2018, but he was dropped after a bizarre incident in Philadelphia. Cops said they found the cornerback passed out inside of a car around 6am. When they woke him up, he was allegedly combative – ultimately, they used a taser to subdue him. Afterwards, he faced charges for firearms, driving under the influence, and disorderly conduct. The Raiders picked him up and waited as he served a four-game suspension.

All of that aside, Worley offers veteran experience on a value deal – and he’s still only 25. In this year’s draft, the Cowboys added a pair of cornerbacks in Alabama’s Trevon Diggs (second round) and Tulsa’s Reggie Robinson II (fourth round). They’ve also got Chidobe Awuzie, Anthony Brown, and Jourdan Lewis on hand, so Dallas now has a crowded CB depth chart.

In Oakland, Worley started nearly all of his 25 games across two seasons. Last year, in 15 games, he notched 58 tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.

Before the Raiders and the offseason cup of coffee with the Birds, Worley was a 2016 third-round pick of the Panthers. He started in 25 games for Carolina and notched three interceptions.

Bay Area Notes: Witherspoon, Lee, Verrett, Joyner

November 11th, 2019 at 6:38pm CST by Marc Delucchi

49ers cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon was expected to be active for Monday Night’s contest against the Seahawks for the first time since Week 3. However, Witherspoon remained on the team’s inactive list. According to The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, Witherspoon feels 100%, but he did not get to participate in a full practice this week. Thus, the team plans to give him a full week of practice before rejoining the starting lineup next week against the Cardinals.

Rookie undrafted free agent Emmanuel Mosley has been fantastic in place of Witherspoon and surely made the decision to play it safe with Witherspoon easier. At 8-0, San Francisco has a fantastic opportunity to put themselves in the driver’s seat for the number one seed in the NFC with a win tonight.

Here’s more from around the Bay Area:

  • Raiders linebacker Marquel Lee has rejoined the team’s practices, according to Howard Balzer. Lee was placed on injured reserve in September with an ankle injury, however, the team designated him for a possible return. Balzer’s report signals the beginning of a 21-day practice period for Lee to practice with the team before Oakland must decide to reactivate him or leave him on IR for the rest of the season.
  • Cornerback Jason Verrett was among the 49ers on the field for warm-ups on Monday Night before their matchup with Seattle, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. While normally a player warming up before a game wouldn’t be newsworthy, Verrett is currently on the injured reserve with a designation to potentially return later in the season. Per Barrows, he has not been on the field since his injury two months ago. Since Verrett is not eligible to return until December 1, it is a very good sign for the team to see him making progress.
  • Jon Gruden told reporters that Raiders slot cornerback Lamarcus Joyner is questionable with a hamstring injury, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. Gruden went on to say that Nevin Lawson will get the first opportunity to replace Joyner. Rookie fourth round pick Isaiah Johnson, recently activated from the injured reserve, will get an opportunity to receive snaps at the outside cornerback position and possibly move veteran Daryl Worley inside to the slot as well, per Bair.

Arden Key Done For Season

November 7th, 2019 at 5:11pm CST by Rory Parks

Raiders defensive end Arden Key suffered a broken foot during the team’s win over the Lions on Sunday, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (Twitter link). After he received a second opinion from Dr. Robert Anderson, the Raiders announced that he will miss the rest of the season and be placed on IR.

The injury comes at a particularly poor time for Key, as the LSU product had recorded a sack in each of Oakland’s past two games and was finally beginning to display the pass rushing ability that once made him a potential first-round pick. A rocky final collegiate season in 2017 caused him to drop to the third round of the 2018 draft, and after posting just one sack in his rookie campaign, Key was making positive strides this year.

Key missed a game earlier this season due to a sprained patellar tendon, and after that diagnosis, the Raiders worked out a few edge defenders who could serve as a replacement.

In other Raiders-related injury news, cornerback Daryl Worley has a strained Achilles and will be getting an MRI, as Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area tweets. Worley has started every game for Oakland this year and recorded his first pick of the season on Sunday.

Right tackle Trent Brown sustained a knee injury on Sunday and is also waiting on MRI results, per Bair.

Load More Posts