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Griff Whalen

Patriots To Sign Griff Whalen

December 8th, 2016 at 4:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Griff Whalen‘s career has ventured to the journeyman stage in 2016, but it will now take him to one of the league’s highest-profile locales.

The Patriots plan to sign the fifth-year wide receiver, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). New England is down Danny Amendola due to a high-ankle sprain, and the organization believes Whalen could fill the veteran’s role until the playoffs, per Rapoport.

It’s a one-year deal for Whalen, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets.

Amendola’s role has varied in importance with the Patriots, but he’s played in all 12 games this season and has 23 receptions for 243 yards and four touchdowns in this his fourth year with the team. He suffered the ankle injury against the Rams on Sunday.

This will be Whalen’s third team in the past three months. He worked out for the Jets last week. Initially cut by the Dolphins after spending the offseason and preseason in Miami, Whalen moved to San Diego and played in eight games a Chargers backup for a team that’s again reeling at wide receiver. The Chargers cut him two weeks ago after claiming Ronnie Hillman off waivers.

New England has Julian Edelman, Chris Hogan and Malcolm Mitchell shouldering the receiving reps, so Whalen figures to contribute mostly on special teams. For his career, the 26-year-old target has 47 receptions for 509 yards and three scores — all but two of those catches coming in four seasons with the Colts. His previous attachment to the Patriots came last season when in a Colts-Pats Sunday-night tilt he was the designated snapper on the strangest fake-punt attempt in memory.

Jets Notes: Marshall, Whalen, Jennings

November 29th, 2016 at 10:55am CST by Zachary Links

Brandon Marshall hopes his future is with the Jets, Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday writes. The Jets are currently 3-8, but that hasn’t dampened Marshall’s spirit for the team.

“Physically I feel like I can play well into my mid-30s, so obviously no plans on retiring, no plans on switching teams,” Marshall said. “Would love to stay here and retire as a Jet. So I’ve just got to continue to focus on what I can control. Lead where I can, on and off the field.”

Marshall, 33 in March, carries a $7.5MM cap hit next season. That’s a lot of coin, particularly when considering the way his numbers have dropped this year. Right now, he’s on pact for roughly 70 catches and 975 yards. Last year, he had 109 grabs for 1,502 yards. Also, despite what Marshall says, it’s fair to wonder whether he’d want to be a part of a rebuilding team at this stage of his career. When asked if he’d be alright with returning to a rebuilding club, he didn’t give a clear answer.

Here’s more on Gang Green:

Chargers Claim Ronnie Hillman

November 22nd, 2016 at 4:34pm CST by Ben Levine

It didn’t take long for Ronnie Hillman to find a new job. A day after getting waived by the Vikings, the running back has been claimed by the Chargers (via ESPN’s Field Yates on Twitter). Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune tweets that the team has waived wideout Griff Whalen to make the necessary roster room.

Ronnie Hillman (vertical)This is a bit of a homecoming for the 25-year-old, as Hillman was a former standout at San Diego State. The running back signed a one-year deal to stay with the Broncos this offseason, but he was ultimately cut by the team in early September. Following Adrian Peterson‘s injury, the Vikings signed the four-year veteran. Before joining Minnesota, Hillman also auditioned for the Chargers.

In five games with Minnesota, Hillman compiled 50 yards on 18 carries. In 53 career games, the running back has averaged four yards per carry, and he has also hauled in 71 career receptions. 2015 was arguably Hillman’s best season, as the running back ran for 863 yards and seven touchdowns.

Despite the emergence of Melvin Gordon, the Chargers running backs have struggled with injuries in 2016. The team has already lost Danny Woodhead, Dexter McCluster, and Branden Oliver for the season. Hillman will presumably compete with undrafted free agent Kenneth Farrow for back-up running back carries.

Whalen played eight games for the Chargers this season, collecting two catches for 22 yards.

Chargers Place Danny Woodhead On IR

September 19th, 2016 at 1:49pm CST by Zachary Links

Bad news for the Chargers as running back Danny Woodhead is done for the year. Tests revealed that the veteran suffered a torn ACL, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. The Chargers officially announced that they are placing him on IR."<strong

Woodhead, 31, appeared in all 16 games for the Chargers last season, catching 80 passes for 755 yards and six touchdowns. He also added 336 yards on the ground off of 98 carries and three touchdowns, but it was his pass-catching ability out of the backfield that really boosted the Bolts’ defense. This year, he was expected to serve as a complement to sophomore tailback Melvin Gordon. Now, the Chargers may lean more on UDFA Kenneth Farrow and former Giant Andre Williams.

Through two games this season, Woodhead had six catches for 35 yards and one score. He also ran for 116 yards off of just 19 attempts. He is in the final year of the two-year extension he signed with the Chargers in 2014, so his future beyond this year is uncertain.

To fill his spot on the roster, the Chargers are signing wide receiver Griff Whalen. Whalen, 26, spent the offseason with the Dolphins but was ultimately cut by Miami. He auditioned for San Diego last week, leading to today’s deal.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chargers Work Out Chris Givens, Griff Whalen

September 13th, 2016 at 8:14pm CST by Ben Levine

After having lost wideout Keenan Allen for the season, the Chargers are actively seeking receivers. According to ESPN.com’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter), the team brought in wide receivers Chris Givens and Griff Whalen for a workout today.

Chris GivensGivens, 26, briefly caught on with the Eagles this offseason, but the veteran failed to make the opening day roster. The former fourth-rounder played for the Ravens and the Rams in 2015, catching 20 passes for 353 yards and one touchdown. His best season came during his rookie campaign in 2012, when he hauled in 42 catches for 698 yards and three touchdowns.

Whalen, 26, spent the offseason with the Dolphins but was ultimately cut by the team. The former undrafted free agent out of Stanford spent his first four NFL seasons with the Colts, where he appeared in 34 games. Whalen finished 2015 with 19 catches for 205 yards and one touchdown.

As Roster Resource shows, the Chargers are currently counting on Tyrell Williams, Travis Benjamin, Dontrelle Inman, and Isaiah Burse to replace some of Allen’s production. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Allen has struggled through injuries over the past year, but he still managed to catch at least 65 passes in his three previous NFL seasons.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sunday NFL Transactions: AFC East

September 4th, 2016 at 5:53pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four AFC East teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, and Jets are noted below.

Additionally, as of 12:00pm CT today, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.

Here are Sunday’s AFC East transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day (all links go to Twitter unless noted otherwise):

Buffalo Bills

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New York Jets

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/18/16

March 18th, 2016 at 4:31pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Here are today’s minor transactions from around the NFL…

  • The Dolphins announced on Twitter that they’ve signed receiver Griff Whalen, who spent the first three years of his career in Indianapolis. Whalen totaled 19 receptions, 205 yards and a touchdown in 14 games last season. His best output came in 2013, when he amassed career highs in catches (24), targets (40), yards (259) and scores (two) in just nine games.
  • The Colts have signed running back Jordan Todman, they announced via press release. The Colts are the fifth organization for Todman, a sixth-round pick in 2011 who was most recently with the Steelers. After combining for 147 touches (108 rushes, 39 receptions) from 2013-14, he totaled a mere four last season.
  • The Chiefs tweeted the signing of linebacker Tautvydas Kieras, a native of Lithuania who attended Mississippi State. Kieras didn’t play college football there, however, instead starring in track and field. He set the school record in the discus.
  • The Vikings have signed tight end Brian Leonhardt to a one-year, $600K deal, per ESPN’s Ben Goessling (on Twitter). Leonhardt has appeared in seven career games with the Raiders and 49ers since entering the NFL in 2014. He has seven catches and a touchdown to his name.

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/1/16

January 1st, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Let’s take a look at a New Year’s Day edition of the league’s latest minor moves:

  • The Rams have promoted receiver Nick Toon to their active roster, according to Woodbery (Twitter link), placing cornerback Eric Patterson on injured reserve to create a roster spot (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle). Toon, a former fourth-round pick, has 21 career receptions, all with the Saints.
  • The Jaguars also made a practice squad promotion, signing defensive tackle Richard Ash to the active roster while placing defensive end Abry Jones on injured reserve, tweets Wilson. Ash has spent the entire season on Jacksonville’s taxi squad.
  • The Chargers made a couple of procedural moves, per Wilson (Twitter link), who reports that San Diego has cut receiver Torrence Allen and guard Ben Beckwith from injured reserve.

Earlier updates:

  • The Saints have placed running back Kendall Hunter on injured reserve, head coach Sean Payton told reporters, including Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (Twitter link). The 27-year-old former 49er, who has just one carry on the season, was apparently injured during practice this week.
  • The Colts have waived receiver Griff Whalen off injured reserve, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. Whalen appeared in 14 games this season, catching 19 balls for 205 yards and one touchdown.

Colts Announce Several Roster Moves

December 21st, 2015 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Following a disappointing loss to the Texans on Sunday, the Colts have shaken up the back of their 53-man roster, announcing six moves today in a press release. Here are today’s transactions out of Indianapolis:

Signed:

  • RB Trey Williams (from Dolphins’ practice squad)

Promoted to active roster from practice squad:

Placed on injured reserve:

Waived:

While Whalen, Winn, and Tipton weren’t among the Colts’ most noteworthy contributors this season, all three players saw some action throughout the year.

Whalen, who lost a key fumble on Sunday, had 19 receptions for 205 yards and a touchdown this season. Winn recorded 14 tackles and a pair of fumble recoveries in 12 games (three starts). Tipton had 20 rushing yards on five attempts, adding another 57 yards through the air on five receptions.

AFC Mailbags: Dolphins, Ravens, Jags, Colts

May 23rd, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s start off with notes from the AFC…

  • James Walker believes Dolphins coach Joe Philbin‘s job could be in jeopardy if his team doesn’t succeed this season. The team spent money to improve their roster during the offseason, and the writer believes owner Stephen Ross won’t have much patience for another subpar season.
  • The Ravens certainly have the money to add another veteran to their squad, and Jamison Hensley thinks that’s a realistic possibility. The team will likely depend on their young players to compete for jobs, but the team could pursue an established player if any of those young players struggle. The writer points to wideout James Jones, running back Pierre Thomas, tight end Jermaine Gresham, defensive lineman Osi Umenyiora and defensive tackle Kevin Williams as the top available free agents.
  • When asked which undrafted rookies could make the Jaguars 53-man roster, Michael DiRocco focuses on the team’s group of young linebackers (Thurston Armbrister, Matt Robinson and Todd Thomas). The writer cites the lack of depth at that position, nothing that one of the rookies could contribute as a backup linebacker/special teamer.
  • If the Colts decide to keep four running backs, Mike Wells says the final spot will likely be between Vick Ballard and Zurlon Tipton. Frank Gore and Boom Herron have their spots locked down, and Wells believes sixth-round pick Josh Robinson has a good chance of sticking.
  • When it comes to the Colts‘ wideouts, Wells says Griff Whalen is likely the odd man out. The team seemingly has six receivers ahead of Whalen on the depth chart, so Wells believes it’s a “long shot” for the former undrafted free agent to make the roster.
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