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Josh Woodrum

NFL Workout Updates: 9/27/16

September 27th, 2016 at 8:26pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Tuesday is workout day in the NFL, and while we’ve dedicated full posts to the more notable tryouts, we’ll round up the stragglers here:

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/19/16

July 19th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

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

  • The Colts have signed free agent fullback/tight end Emil Igwenagu, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. To clear room for Igwenagu, they’ve waived quarterback Josh Woodrum, per Mike Chappell of FOX59 (Twitter link). Igwenagu signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent from Temple in 2012 and appeared in three games that year. That’s his only NFL action to date, though he remained with the Eagles organization in 2013 and then caught on with the Lions’ practice squad in 2014. Woodrum became a Colt after they claimed him off waivers from the Giants in May. The UDFA from Liberty signed with Big Blue just a few days earlier.
  • The Falcons have waived center James Stone with an injury settlement, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Stone joined the Falcons as an undrafted free agent from Tennessee in 2014 and went on to appear in 19 games for Atlanta, starting 10. The vast majority of those appearances (12) and starts (nine) came in Stone’s rookie year. A torn ACL cut his 2015 season short in December, thus leading to the injury settlement. Stone’s departure leaves the Falcons with 88 players on their 90-man roster.
  • The Buccaneers have waived safety John Lowdermilk off the reserved/retired list, reports Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The Bucs placed Lowdermilk on the reserved/retired list May 24, just under two weeks after claiming him off waivers from the Vikings. Lowdermilk, 24, spent time with the Vikes and Chargers organizations after entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent from Iowa last year. He didn’t appear in a game with either, however.

South Notes: Bortles, Morgan, Bucs

July 3rd, 2016 at 12:53pm CST by Rory Parks

Now that Andrew Luck‘s record-setting contract has been wrapped up, beat writers and national reporters alike are already speculating as to when the next big-money quarterback deal will be consummated. Members of the 2014 draft class are eligible to sign extensions after the 2016 season is over, and Hays Carlyon of The Florida Times-Union writes that the Jaguars will extend quarterback Blake Bortles, the third overall selection of the 2014 draft, as soon as the collective bargaining agreement allows them to do so.

Of course, as a first-round selection, Jacksonville could keep Bortles under club control through 2018 by exercising his fifth-year option, but Carlyon believes the Jags will move to sign Bortles to a long-term deal early so that they can front-load his contract and take advantage of the considerable salary cap space they currently have, thereby giving them more flexibility down the road.

Now for more notes from the league’s south divisions:

  • Jarrod Wilson, an undrafted free agent safety from Michigan, made a couple of splash plays towards the end of the Jaguars‘ offseason program, and those flashes have put him on defensive coordinator Todd Wash‘s radar. He still has a long way to go to crack the team’s 53-man roster, but Ryan O’Halloran of The Florida Times-Union can envision at least one scenario in which Wilson would make the club.
  • Titans OLB Derrick Morgan has joined free agent offensive tackle Eugene Monroe as a vocal supporter of increased cannabis research, as Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (citing USA Today) writes. Morgan did multiple interviews last week calling for the NFL to support cannabis research to determine if cannabidiol or any other compounds can help treat or prevent chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Morgan is entering the second year of a four-year, $27MM he inked with Tennessee last March.
  • Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter recently indicated that his club may target a few veteran free agents to round out the roster when cuts start being made this summer, and Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter) indicated that obvious positions in need of an upgrade are fourth defensive tackle, third running back, and fifth linebacker.
  • Rookie quarterback Josh Woodrum, who was signed by the Giants as a UDFA before being released just three days later, was ultimately claimed off waivers by the Colts, and he believes he has made great strides during Indianapolis’ offseason program, as Andrew Walker of Colts.com writes. Currently the fourth QB on the Colts roster behind Andrew Luck, Scott Tolzien, and Stephen Morris, Woodrum is encouraged by his progress in adapting to the traditional pro-style offense that the Colts run, which is a stark contrast from what he became accustomed to while setting records at FCS program Liberty University. Needless to say, Woodrum is unlikely to make the team in 2016, but he is hoping to develop his game enough to make a good impression on all of the league’s 32 clubs if and when he gets a chance in the preseason.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/10/16

May 10th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • Fullback Toben Opurum was claimed by the Broncos after he was waived by the Saints, Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune writes. Opurum, 25, has been with the Saints since the end of the 2014 season. In a related move, the Broncos have waived tight end Anthony Norris, Troy Renck of The Denver Post tweets.
  • The Bills have claimed running back Dri Archer off waivers from the Jets, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com writes. Rodak notes that Archer owns the second-fastest 40-yard dash time (4.26 seconds) in NFL history. Bills wide receiver Marquise Goodwin holds the third-fastest time.
  • The Colts have claimed quarterback Josh Woodrum off waivers from the Giants, as Mike Wells of ESPN.com tweets. In a related move, the Colts waived-injured tight end Mike McFarland. McFarland will go on the Colts’ IR if he clears waivers. As for Woodrum, he becomes the team’s fourth QB on the depth chart after Andrew Luck, Scott Tolzien, and Stephen Morris.
  • The Rams released wide receiver Isiah Ferguson, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (on Twitter). To replace him, the Rams have inked wide receiver J.J. Worton (link).
  • The Vikings announced that they have waived safety Johnny Lowdermilk. The arrival of Lowdermilk will make room for the addition of running back C.J. Ham, whose signing was reported on Monday. Ham, a Duluth native, rushed for 1,097 yards and 16 touchdowns in his final season at Augustana University.
  • The Texans waived outside linebacker Eric Lee, who had signed as undrafted free agent from South Florida, John McClain of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Lee was making the transition to outside linebacker from college defensive end, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle notes (on Twitter).
  • The Packers announced the signing of safety Marwin Evans. Evans, 23, finished his collegiate career at Utah State. The Milwaukee native started 13 of 27 games played for the Aggies, recording 83 tackles (36 solo), 10 tackles for a loss, two sacks, an interception he returned 90 yards for a touchdown, three forced fumbles and five pass breakups.
  • The Giants‘ signing of Matt Smalley will wait until the Lafayette cornerback is done with his finals, according to Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News (on Twitter). That will give Big Blue time before they have to release someone from the 90-man roster.
  • The Giants released linebacker Uani Unga (Twitter link via SiriusXM).
  • The Rams signed former Auburn wide receiver Duke Williams after his recent tryout, Vincent Bonsignore of the Daily News tweets.

Giants Sign B.J. Daniels, Three Others

May 9th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Zachary Links

The Giants announced the signing of a quartet of players, including quarterback/wide receiver B.J. Daniels. In addition to the versatile Daniels, the Giants confirmed the addition of wide receivers Kadron Boone and Donte Foster as well as defensive end Ishaq Williams (previously reported). To make room, wide receiver Ben Edwards was waived/injured while linebacker James Morris, quarterback Josh Woodrum, and tight end Cedrick Lang were waived. B.J. Daniels (vertical)

Daniels has been with the 49ers, Texans, and Seahawks in the last three years. A former seventh-round draft pick of the Niners, Daniels did not appear in a game until last season, when he played in six for the Seahawks and two for the Texans. His final stat line for the year was one completion off of two passes, six rushing attempts for six yards, two receptions for 18 yards, and five punt returns for 25 yards.

Williams has not seen live football action since 2013 when he was punished at Notre Dame for alleged academic fraud. In his three seasons for the Fighting Irish, Williams played in 35 games and totaled 45 tackles, six tackles for losses, one sack and one forced fumble.

Boone, an LSU product, played in college with Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and punter Brad Wing.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Giants Sign Eli Apple, Other Draftees, 14 UDFAs

May 6th, 2016 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

It’s been a busy morning for the Giants as their rookie minicamp opens. The team announced today that it has signed four draft picks, including first-round cornerback Eli Apple, along with 14 undrafted free agents.Eli Apple

In addition to locking up Apple, the Giants have signed second-round wide receiver Sterling Shepard, fifth-round running back Paul Perkins, and sixth-round tight end Jerell Adams. Only the team’s third- and fourth-round picks – safety Darian Thompson and linebacker B.J. Goodson – remain unsigned.

Apple’s four-year rookie contract will feature a fifth-year option for 2020, and is worth $15.152MM in total, including a $9.22MM signing bonus. The other rookie deals are far more modest, including Shepard’s, which has a total value of $5.945MM, with a $2.523MM signing bonus.

Here’s the complete list of 14 undrafted free agents that have joined the Giants:

QB Rumors: Kaepernick, Vick, Lions, Falcons

April 3rd, 2016 at 6:51pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

As those who have closely followed the Colin Kaepernick saga know, the 28-year-old will collect a $400K bonus if he partakes in 90 percent of the 49ers’ offseason workouts. Those workouts begin Monday, and much has been made about whether Kaepernick will appear or stay away and continue to hold out hope for a trade. The Broncos – who are pursuing a deal for Kaepernick – begin their offseason workouts April 18, so Kaepernick could theoretically skip the 49ers’ program and recoup the $400K with Denver if it acquires him by then, as Mike Klis of 9News notes (on Twitter).

Here’s more on Kaepernick and two other QBs:

  • Whether Kaepernick attends the start of 49ers workouts Monday could be crucial to both teams’ leverage, Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee writes. If he’s a no-show, it will further demonstrate that his relationship with the 49ers is irreparable and potentially force them to settle for an underwhelming offer from the Broncos. On the other hand, should Kaepernick report, there’s a chance he and new 49ers head coach Chip Kelly will develop a rapport and ultimately lead No. 7 to continue his five-year career in San Francisco.
  • Free agent Michael Vick thinks he’s capable of playing next season, but he seems content to retire if nobody pursues him. “I’m 35, about to turn 36,” Vick told David Teel of the Daily Press. “I’ve got one more dedicated season in my blood, if somebody needs me to come in. But I’m kind of happy where I am right now.” Vick spent last season in Pittsburgh, where he played in five games (three starts), completed 60.6 percent of passes, and tossed two touchdowns and an interception. He also flashed some of his signature mobility, rushing for 99 yards on 20 attempts, but the Steelers have a better, younger backup option to Ben Roethlisberger in Landry Jones. Thus, if Vick does return next season, he’s all but guaranteed to be in another uniform.
  • Liberty’s Josh Woodrum worked out for the Lions last week and will do the same for the Falcons on April 11, Gil Brandt of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). Despite having played at an FCS school, Woodrum had an eye-opening showing at his pro day, leading to interest from Detroit and Atlanta, per Brandt.