HEADLINES

Jamar Taylor

Seahawks To Re-Sign CB Jamar Taylor

September 9th, 2019 at 2:14pm CST by Sam Robinson

After releasing him on cutdown Saturday, the Seahawks will bring back Jamar Taylor. The cornerback intends to re-sign with Seattle on Monday, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.

The Seahawks initially signed the well-traveled corner in May and kept him for the offseason’s remainder but opted to go into Week 1 without him. Taylor has played for the Dolphins, Browns, Cardinals and Broncos in a six-year career.

Neiko Thorpe left the Seahawks-Bengals game; this move may be related to that. By being off the Seahawks’ Week 1 roster, Taylor will not have his full salary guaranteed. This may have been the plan all along, with Garafolo adding Taylor enjoyed a strong camp and was viewed as a post-Week 1 option anyway.

The former Dolphins draft choice struggled last season but only played 305 snaps. The soon-to-be 29-year-old defender has enjoyed better seasons, however, and will supply veteran depth for a young secondary.

Seahawks Get Down To 53 Players

August 31st, 2019 at 6:25pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Seahawks have made their roster cuts. Perhaps most notably, they cut quarterback Geno Smith. Since they already waived Paxton Lynch last night and also waived J.T. Barrett, they currently have no passers on the roster behind Russell Wilson. It’s possible the team is just maneuvering the roster and planning on re-signing Smith. If not, they’ll be adding a veteran in the coming days.

The Seahawks had a crowded running backs room, and J.D. McKissic and Bo Scarbrough ended up as the odd-men out. A lot of people were expecting Jaron Brown to start the year as the team’s number two receiver while D.K. Metcalf recovers from his knee injury, but he didn’t even end up making the initial 53. Brown was set to make $2.75MM, so maybe he’ll be brought back after the regular season starts when his contract won’t be guaranteed.

Here’s the full list of moves:

Released:

FB Nick Bellore

WR Jaron Brown

DE Cassius Marsh

C Marcus Martin

DT Jamie Meder

QB Geno Smith

CB Jamar Taylor

Waived:

QB J.T. Barrett

WR Jazz Ferguson

TE Jackson Harris

T Will Holden

TE Jacob Hollister

LB Jawuan Johnson

WR Kahlil Lewis

S Shalom Luani

 RB J.D. McKissic

DT Earl Mitchell

WR Nyqwan Murray

T Elijah Nkansah

WR Keenan Reynolds

G Jordan Roos

TE Wes Saxton

RB Bo Scarbrough

DE Logan Tago

CB Simeon Thomas

G Landon Turner

RB Xavier Turner

T Brian Wallace

WR Terry Wright

LB Juwon Young

Waived/injured:

CB Jeremy Boykins

LB Justin Currie

PUP:

DT Demarcus Christmas

G Phil Haynes

Injured reserve:

G Jordan Simmons

Seahawks Release CB Jamar Taylor

August 31st, 2019 at 2:14pm CST by Zachary Links

The Seahawks are releasing veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor, as Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets. Just days ago, he seemed to be the frontrunner for Seattle’s nickel job, so this was an unexpected cut.

In May, Taylor was brought on to potentially replace the departed Justin Coleman. The 2013 second-round pick was productive in his two Cleveland seasons, including a 2016 campaign where he had three interceptions and 13 passes defended. In 2017, he appeared in a career-high 16 games and finished with a career-high 62 tackles.

It’s yet another move on a busy day for the Seahawks. They, of course, acquired Jadeveon Clowney on Saturday morning.

Seahawks To Sign CB Jamar Taylor

May 9th, 2019 at 10:57am CST by Zachary Links

Veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor is set to sign with the Seahawks, sources tell Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Terms of the deal are not yet known, but the two sides may hammer out terms on Thursday as Taylor meets with coaches and tours the facility. 

[RELATED: Seahawks To Sign Ziggy Ansah]

Taylor should figure into the Seahawks’ slot corner competition where he would potentially replace the departed Justin Coleman. The 2013 second-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Dolphins before being dealt to the Browns. He was productive during his two seasons with Cleveland, including a 2016 campaign where he had three interceptions and 13 passes defended. In 2017, he appeared in a career-high 16 games and finished with a career-high 62 tackles.

Taylor, who will turn 29 in September, will battle with Akeem King, Kalan Reed, Jeremy Boykins, and rookie Ugo Amadi for the primary slot role. Earlier this offseason, coach Pete Carroll indicated that the nickel spot would be wide open in camp.

CB Jamar Taylor Visits Seahawks

April 2nd, 2019 at 4:55pm CST by Rory Parks

Veteran cornerback Jamar Taylor is visiting with the Seahawks today, per Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network (via Twitter). After losing former slot corner Justin Coleman to the Lions, Seattle is looking for reinforcements in the secondary.

Taylor, a 2013 second-round pick, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Dolphins before being dealt to the Browns. He was productive during his two seasons with Cleveland, including a 2016 campaign where he had three interceptions and 13 passes defended. He finished the 2017 season having appeared in a career-high 16 games and finishing with a career-high 62 tackles.

Last May, the Browns traded him to the Cardinals, who hoped to deploy him as their No. 2 CB opposite Patrick Peterson. Taylor agreed to a significant pay cut to facilitate the trade, but things did not go well for him in the desert. Arizona cut him in November, and he caught on with the Broncos to finish out the 2018 season.

Still just 28, Taylor provides experience and can be a solid contributor in a CB rotation.

In other Seahawks news, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that safety Taylor Mays, whose last NFL action came in 2015, will work out with the team tomorrow. Mays a former USC Trojan, could be reunited with Pete Carroll, who was USC’s head coach during Mays’ collegiate career.

Broncos To Sign CB Jamar Taylor

December 4th, 2018 at 1:29pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos are signing cornerback Jamar Taylor, a source tells Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll help fill the void for Denver while Chris Harris recovers from a broken leg. 

The former Dolphins and Browns corner was released by the Cardinals in November after he failed to solidify himself as a proper counterpart to star Patrick Peterson. He’s now on to team No. 4 in a career that has seen him traded twice — from Miami to Cleveland in 2016 and from Cleveland to Arizona earlier this year.

With the Broncos, Taylor figures to get involved in the rotation behind Bradley Roby and Tramaine Brock. Recent third-round picks Isaac Yiadom and Brendan Langley are also on hand and safety Justin Simmons may continue to see snaps at slot cornerback. Ideally, the Broncos would probably prefer to keep Simmons at his native spot while occasionally using Taylor as the third corner.

The Broncos’ playoff hopes are still alive at 6-6 and they have a mostly plum schedule to finish out the year. The Broncos will take on the 49ers, Browns, and Raiders in the next three games before closing the season against the red-hot Chargers.

CB Jamar Taylor To Visit Broncos

December 3rd, 2018 at 4:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jamar Taylor‘s time with the Cardinals did not last an entire season, but another team’s situation at cornerback may allow for the veteran defender to return to action soon.

The Broncos will host Taylor on a visit soon, with Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reporting (via Twitter) the former Dolphins, Browns and Cardinals corner is en route to Denver now. A signing could be imminent, Rapoport notes. The Broncos will sign Taylor if he passes their physical, Mike Klis of 9News tweets.

Vance Joseph said earlier on Monday (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold) the Broncos were not planning to sign a cornerback, but their corner room may indeed become crowded. Chris Harris‘ fractured fibula, interestingly, will now prompt the the Broncos to place him on IR. The hope is that the All-Pro slot stopper can return this season, Joseph said, calling him week-to-week.

Harris is not expected to need surgery, with Joseph calling the injury the eighth-year veteran sustained Sunday a “small break.” Harris’ return goal appears to be a potential playoff game. That’s not out of the question for the Broncos, but Sunday marked their first extensive action without Harris since he tore an ACL in the 2013 playoffs. While Harris grades as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 corner, the rest of Denver’s corners have struggled this season, leading to the team exploring an emergency Taylor add.

A 2013 third-round pick, Taylor has been traded twice — from Miami to Cleveland in 2016 and from Cleveland to Arizona earlier this year — and has played well in spurts. After a failed bid to commandeer a Dolphins starting job, Taylor did start 29 games for the Browns from 2016-17. That work led to a Cleveland extension. However, Taylor became one of the several Cardinals who could not lock down the starting job opposite Patrick Peterson, and Arizona cut him last month.

Bradley Roby, Tramaine Brock and recent third-round picks Isaac Yiadom and Brendan Langley comprise the Broncos’ corner contingent. Safety Justin Simmons also saw slot coverage work Sunday in Cincinnati. Taylor has manned the slot at times during his career.

Cardinals Release CB Jamar Taylor

November 19th, 2018 at 5:43pm CST by Ben Levine

Jamar Taylor‘s tenure with the Cardinals has come to an end. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports (via Twitter) that the organization is releasing the veteran cornerback. Taylor will be subject to waivers.

The 2013 second-round pick spent the first three seasons of his career with the Dolphins before being dealt to the Browns. Taylor ended up being productive during his two seasons with Cleveland, including a 2016 campaign where he had three interceptions and 13 passes defended. He finished the 2017 season having appeared in a career-high 16 games and finishing with a career-high 62 tackles.

The Browns shook up their cornerback corps this past offseason, signing free agents T.J. Carrie and E.J. Gaines and drafting Denzel Ward in the first round. Cleveland ended up trading Taylor to Arizona in exchange for a 2020 sixth-round pick. The cornerback saw a reduced role with the Cardinals, and he finished his tenure having collected 17 tackles and one pass defended in 10 games (three starts).

This move will leave the Cardinals with four healthy cornerbacks on their roster: Patrick Peterson, Brandon Williams, Bene Benwikere, and Leonard Johnson.

Extra Points: Bryant, Bell, Cards, ASJ, Harris

September 29th, 2018 at 9:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

Perhaps a “stop us if you’ve heard this before” tagline is appropriate, but Dez Bryant said he intends to sign with a team soon. The former Cowboys wide receiver tweeted “soon” in response to a question about when he planned to end his stay in free agency. This is obviously not the first, second or third time Bryant has discussed his employment plans or hopes, but it’s the latest. Sunday will mark the fourth set of games elapsed without Bryant on a roster. He will turn 30 this season and will be tasked with learning a new offense quickly. It’s not a great situation for the Pro Bowler as October approaches.

Week 4 Sunday is nearly upon us. Here’s what’s going on around the league leading up to it:

  • Another year’s bringing uncertainty opposite Patrick Peterson in Arizona. The Cardinals have struggled for several seasons to fill their No. 2 cornerback job, and the player they acquired to be the latest solution is now in a competition with Bene Benwikere. The Cards benched Jamar Taylor in Week 3 and now have he and Benwikere competing for the other starting job, Bob McManamon of the Arizona Republic notes. These two follow the likes of Brandon Williams and Justin Bethel in the Cardinals’ continuous search to find a reliable starter opposite Peterson. While both players will still play against the Seahawks, per Steve Wilks, this being a competition again is notable given the team’s recent history here.
  • The Jets offered Austin Seferian-Jenkins $8MM over two years, but he chose to depart for Jacksonville for a two-year, $10MM agreement. Nevertheless, Todd Bowles doesn’t begrudge his former tight end for departing for a bit more cash. “Nothing personal,” Bowles said, via John Rowe of NorthJersey.com. “The timing wasn’t right. He got away and that’s just part of free agency every year. We lose some and we keep some. But the guys have done a good job filling in right now.” Eric Tomlinson leads Jets tight ends with three receptions for 45 yards. Seferian-Jenkins’ 50-reception season was the most among Gang Green tight ends since Dustin Keller caught 65 passes for 815 yards in 2011. ASJ, though, only turned his 50 grabs into 357 yards. The new Jags pass-catcher has nine receptions for 66 yards entering Week 4.
  • Gang Green resides as a possible landing spot for Le’Veon Bell, in the view of ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Instagram link). She lists the Jets, Eagles and Packers as being possible fits for the disgruntled running back. The Jets lead this trio with $16MM-plus in cap space. The Eagles hold less than $5MM. Bell is attached to a $10MM-plus prorated version of his franchise tag salary.
  • The Broncos have not found a replacement for Aqib Talib, and Bradley Roby is struggling going into a key game against the Chiefs. This has left Denver’s once-vaunted secondary in trouble, and it continues to force Chris Harris — arguably this decade’s premier slot defender — to play the slot on passing downs. “I like being on the outside because that’s where I can get more picks,’’ Harris said, via 9News’ Mike Klis. “I can read the quarterback more; I can use my coverage skills a lot more. I just think I can make more plays. In the slot, I’m always with my back to the quarterback; I’m man to man most of the time; I can’t see where the ball’s going. So, it’s hard to make those plays.” Late last season, the All-Pro corner expressed a desire to be used on the outside in more than just base sets, but that hasn’t come to pass this season. Denver, which has vacillated between using Adam Jones and Tramaine Brock as its No. 3 corner, ranks 21st against the pass through three games. The team hasn’t finished outside the top five in aerial deterrence in five seasons.

NFC West Notes: Cardinals, Rosen, 49ers

May 25th, 2018 at 10:40am CST by Zachary Links

Sam Bradford is slated to be the Cardinals‘ starting quarterback..for now. Between now and September, rookie Josh Rosen could very well beat him out for the top job, coach Steve Wilks says.

“Smart, this guy is extremely smart,” Wilks said of Rosen, the No. 10 overall pick (via Kent Somers of The Arizona Republic). “His ability to see certain things from the defense and pick it up quickly and execute … I don’t want to say this, but he has the mindset of a vet, the way he sees the game. He’s not playing like a vet. Make sure you guys understand that. He’s still a rookie, OK? But he sees things from a different lens.”

So far, Bradford is healthy “and when he’s healthy, he’s great,” Wilks said. Still, Wilks believes in competition and is not ready to hand him the job here in May.

Here’s more from the NFC West:

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