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Jeron Mastrud

AFC Notes: Irsay, Titans, Chiefs, Wright

October 9th, 2014 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

The Broncos and Patriots were widely regarded before the season as the frontrunners to come out of the AFC this season, and while both teams are off to decent starts, it’s the 4-1 Chargers that currently sit atop the conference. Not only has Philip Rivers led San Diego to a league-best record, but the team’s +70 point differential is the NFL’s best by a wide margin — the Broncos and Pats have a combined +45 margin between them.

As we look forward to see if the Chargers can continue their winning ways against the 0-4 Raiders this weekend, let’s round up a few notes from around the AFC….

  • Colts owner Jim Irsay will be back working – and presumably tweeting – later this week, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Irsay’s six-game suspension ends tomorrow, following the team’s appearance on Thursday Night Football.
  • The Titans took a look at a handful of tight ends this week, working out Richard Gordon, Matthew Mulligan, Steve Maneri, and Jeron Mastrud, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Caplan adds that the club also auditioned quarterback Ricky Stanzi.
  • The Chiefs had several players in for workouts this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter), who lists the following free agents as having tried out for Kansas City: Tight ends Brandon Barden and Michael Flacco, linebackers Brandon Copeland and Carlos Fields, wideout Jamar Howard, and long snappers Jorgen Hus and Tyler Ott.
  • Tight end Tim Wright, who was acquired by the Patriots via trade prior to the regular season, is starting to get comfortable within New England’s offensive system, as Howard Ulman of The Associated Press writes.

Bears To Cut Lynch, Mastrud, Others

August 29th, 2014 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bears have begun to pare down their roster to the required 53-man limit in advance of tomorrow’s deadline, having already elected to release veteran offensive lineman Robert Turner, as we heard earlier today. Now, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has provided a few more names who won’t make the cut for the Bears’ regular-season roster. Here’s the list of Bears cuts so far, with any newly-reported names added to the list throughout the day:

Bears Sign Adrian Wilson, Jeron Mastrud

June 23rd, 2014 at 9:45pm CST by Luke Adams

9:45pm: Wilson’s deal is for $955K and is not guaranteed, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com.

3:19pm: The Bears have added a pair of free agents to their roster, announcing today (via Twitter) that they’ve signed veteran safety Adrian Wilson and tight end Jeron Mastrud to contracts. Terms of the agreements aren’t yet known.

Wilson, 34 was set to play for the Patriots in 2013 after spending 12 years in Arizona, but was sidelined with a foot injury in the preseason and missed the entire ’13 campaign. The Pats released Wilson back in April, and Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports reported at the time that the longtime Cardinal would be healthy for the 2014 season and wanted to continue his playing career. While the idea of a player in his mid-30s coming off a major injury may not inspire a ton of confidence, Wilson isn’t far removed from his most recent Pro Bowl season (2011), so it’s reasonable to think the former third-round pick could contribute if he’s healthy.

As for Mastrud, the tight end played for the Raiders in 2013 after spending his first three NFL seasons in Miami. While Mastrud only has seven career receptions on his NFL resumé, six of which came last season, he logged significant time as a blocker, playing 554 snaps on offense in ’13, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Mastrud’s positive grade as a pass-blocker buoyed him to a rank of 34th among 64 qualified NFL tight ends.