Justin Forsett - Pro Football Rumors

Former Ravens RB Justin Forsett Retires

May 3rd, 2017 at 9:13am CST by Zachary Links

Justin Forsett is retiring. The longtime NFL running back is hanging up his cleats after nine seasons.

“It’s time. I’m officially announcing my retirement from the game I love,” Forsett wrote. “Its been an amazing ride and I’m grateful for every moment. My career has brought so many great people into my life, and I asked some of them to join me in saying goodbye. Against all odds, critics, and naysayers, I accomplished something great. Scouts measured my height and said I was too short. They measured my 40-yard dash and said I was too slow. They looked at my build and said I wouldn’t last. But they couldn’t measure my heart, my faith, and my perseverance. I am living proof that dreams come true and God answers prayers, and I thank God everyday for the opportunity to live out my dream.”

Forsett was a backup for the first six years of his career until 2014 when he got his big opportunity with the Ravens. As Baltimore’s lead back, he ran for 1,266 yards and eight touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl selection.

After being held back by injuries in 2015, the Ravens cut him loose early in the 2016 season. In 44 combined carries for the Lions and Ravens in the fall, he posted just over 3.0 yards per rush on 44 tries. When he later hooked on with the Broncos, he averaged a mere 3.6 yards per carry on 43 attempts. Entering what would have been his age-32 season, it was clear that Forsett’s best football was behind him.

Forsett will be fondly remembered for his impressive 2014 campaign and his positive locker room influence. PFR wishes Forsett all the best in retirement.

Justin Forsett Mulling Retirement

February 3rd, 2017 at 4:33pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

After nine NFL seasons, Broncos running back Justin Forsett is mulling retirement, according to Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post.

“After the Super Bowl, my wife and I are going to take a vacation. My wife is going to have a baby so we’ll take a little time off after that,” said Forsett, who has played for six teams. “In a month or so, we’ll come up with a decision.”

If Forsett does come back for what would be his age-32 season in 2017, it might be in another uniform. Forsett is scheduled to become a free agent after spending just four games in Denver, which claimed him off waivers from the Lions in early December. Forsett wasn’t any kind of solution in his 2016 stint with the Broncos, though, as he averaged a mere 3.6 yards per carry on 43 attempts. That came after Forsett posted just over 3.0 yards per rush on a combined 44 tries with the Lions and Ravens, the latter of whom released him in October.

Forsett, who entered the league as the Seahawks’ seventh-round pick in 2009, had success as a reserve both there and in Houston before breaking out in Baltimore. In 2014, his best individual season, Forsett ran for 1,266 yards on 235 carries (good for an impressive 5.4 YPC), scored eight touchdowns and caught 44 passes as a member of the Ravens.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Broncos Claim RB Justin Forsett Off Waivers

December 5th, 2016 at 3:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Broncos have claimed running back Justin Forsett off waivers, according to a source who spoke with Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The move once again reunited Forsett with coach Gary Kubiak.

The Broncos were in the market for a running back after losing Kapri Bibbs to injury. Now, Forsett will provide veteran help behind Devontae Booker and Juwan Thompson. Bibbs suffered a high ankle sprain this weekend and the Forsett deal is probably an indication that he’s facing a multi-game absence.

Forsett, 31, was dropped by Detroit over the weekend. Forsett had not played in a game since October and has just 136 rushing yards (on 3.1 per carry) this season. A journeyman for most of his career, Forsett broke out in 2014 with 1,266 yards, eight rushing touchdowns, and 44 receptions (all career highs) in 2014. Unfortunately, he has been unable to replicate those numbers ever since.

Needless to say, expectations have been scaled down for Forsett. If he can be a solid change-of-pace back for the Broncos down the stretch and help guide the team’s younger tailbacks, the Broncos will be happy with the acquisition.

Lions Cut Justin Forsett, Activate Armonty Bryant

December 3rd, 2016 at 3:36pm CST by Sam Robinson

Justin Forsett‘s tenure with the Lions looks to be over after the team did not keep the veteran on its roster upon making multiple moves Saturday. The Lions cut Forsett and cornerback Johnthan Banks to make room for the activation of defensive end Armonty Bryant and wide receiver T.J. Jones, James Palmer of NFL.com reports (Twitter links).

This will send the 31-year-old Forsett to the waiver wire, where the ninth-year veteran could be viewed as a depth option for teams in need of ball-carriers. Prior to the trade deadline, Forsett’s vested-veteran status applied and he did not have to pass through waivers upon being released from the Ravens.

Forsett had not played in a game since October and has just 136 rushing yards (on 3.1 per carry) this season. This move doesn’t necessarily point to an Ameer Abdullah return, though, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Abdullah remains on IR, with Theo Riddick being the top backfield option.

The Lions claimed Banks on waivers from the Buccaneers last month and used the cornerback in two games. However, the former Bucs starter who saw his star fall in Tampa Bay could not make enough of a case to stay on the team. He, too, will be subject to the waiver process.

This marks Bryant’s second activation of the season — both by the Lions — with this latest transaction coming as a result of a three-game suspension the defensive end served. He served a four-game ban while a member of the Browns before Cleveland cut him, re-routing him to Detroit via waiver claim. Bryant has three sacks this season in four games as an off-the-bench cog for the first-place Lions.

T.J. Jones‘ promotion coincides with Marvin Jones‘ potential unavailability for Sunday’s game against the Saints. A thigh injury limited the Lions’ leading receiver in practice this week.

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Dak, Lions, Vikings

October 13th, 2016 at 7:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Cowboys rookie Dak Prescott has been among the NFL’s most effective quarterbacks through five weeks, but he’s prepared to surrender the starting role when Tony Romo is ready to return from injury in the coming weeks. The Cowboys are “Tony’s team,” according to Prescott, who took over as Dallas’ starter when Romo suffered a broken bone in his back in late August. A fourth-round pick from Mississippi State, Prescott has helped the Cowboys to a 4-1 record while completing 69 percent of his passes and combining for seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) Prescott has also amassed 155 attempts without an interception, which is the most ever for a player starting his career. He’ll try to keep that streak alive until at least Week 8, when Romo could come off the shelf. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones insisted last Sunday that the No. 1 job belongs to Romo.

Now for a few NFC North notes:

The Lions gave Justin Forsett a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum with nothing guaranteed, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes. That means Forsett will earn less than $625K for the final 12 weeks of the season since the deal is prorated.
Jake Long‘s deal with the Vikings is for the prorated portion of the veterans’ minimum with an injury split of $453K, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets. He’ll count only $423K against the salary cap because of the minimum salary benefit. At the moment, the Vikings are $379K over the salary cap, so they’ll have to move some money around.
Isame Faciane, one of Long’s fellow Vikings offensive linemen, is facing three misdemeanor charges after receiving a DWI citation Wednesday, according to Goessling. Faciane has been a member of the Vikings’ practice squad since 2014.

Lions To Sign RB Justin Forsett

October 11th, 2016 at 1:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Lions are signing running back Justin Forsett, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Detroit scheduled a meeting with Forsett over the weekend and the two sides reached an accord today.

Forsett struggled mightily as the Ravens’ feature back during the first three weeks of the season, managing just 98 yards on 31 carries. He lost his starting job to Terrance West in Week 4 and West enjoyed a strong outing in that game, posting 113 yards and a score on 21 carries. Between West’s emergence and the return of rookie Kenneth Dixon, Forsett became expendable.

The Lions are thin at running back with starter Ameer Abdullah on IR and rookie Dwayne Washington dealing with an ankle injury. At 31, Forsett does not appear to have much left in the tank, but he is still a strong pass protector and offers some ability as a receiver out of the backfield. He will likely be used as a secondary option to Theo Riddick, who stands as Detroit’s top RB.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Justin Forsett To Visit Lions

October 9th, 2016 at 8:24am CST by Rory Parks

Free agent running back Justin Forsett will visit with the Lions tomorrow, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Forsett has had an interesting start to the 2016 campaign, as he was released by the Ravens as part of the team’s final cut-down to a 53-man roster before re-signing with Baltimore just two days later (for the same term and salary that he had remaining on his old contract). It became apparent at that time that the two sides had a prearranged agreement that allowed the Ravens to put several other players on IR with a designation to return while assuring Forsett that he would return to the club.

But Forsett struggled mightily as the team’s feature back during the first three weeks of the season, managing just 98 yards on 31 carries. He lost his starting job to Terrance West last week, and West enjoyed a strong outing, posting 113 yards and a score on 21 carries. Between West’s emergence and the impending return of rookie Kenneth Dixon, who was the team’s most dynamic back in training camp and in the preseason before suffering an injury that forced him to miss the first four weeks of the regular season, Forsett became expendable.

The Lions, through, are very thin at the running back position, as starter Ameer Abdullah was put on IR earlier this year and rookie Dwayne Washington is also dealing with injury problems. At 31, Forsett does not appear to have much left in the tank, even though he did not become a full-time starter until his surprising breakout campaign with the Ravens in 2014. However, he is still a strong pass protector and offers some ability as a receiver out of the backfield, so he could be a useful third-down back in Detroit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Ravens Release RB Justin Forsett

October 4th, 2016 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Ravens announced that they have released running back Justin Forsett. Forsett took to Twitter moments ago to bid farewell to the organization (sic).

“Baltimore will always have a special place in my heart. Love y’all & thank u for the amazing support over the years,” Forsett tweeted.

As a vested veteran, Forsett will not have to pass through waivers. He immediately becomes a free agent.

The 30-year-old was released by the team prior to the season, but he quickly returned to the club. There seemed to have been some prearranged agreement between the two sides and it was presumably done for cap reasons.

Following a 2014 season that saw him set career-highs in rushing yards (1,266), rushing touchdowns (eight) and receptions (44), Forsett came back down to earth in 2015. The veteran appeared in only ten games, compiling 641 yards on 155 carries. Still, Forsett managed to average 4.2-yards-per-carry, solid numbers for a veteran running back.

Forsett, 31 later this month, was the Ravens’ starting tailback to kick off the season, but the run game has been geared more towards Terrance West and Javorius Allen as of late. The injured Kenneth Dixon is getting closer to returning and he figures to get a good amount of carries as well.

The Ravens are still on the hook for Forsett’s $3MM base salary.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ravens Re-Sign Justin Forsett

September 6th, 2016 at 9:57am CST by Ben Levine

TUESDAY, 9:57am: Forsett’s new deal is a two-year pact worth $6MM, identical to what he had remaining on his old deal, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. On top of that, Forsett will earn a $100K bonus if eclipses his modest 2015 rushing yard total of 641 yards.

MONDAY, 11:39am: It didn’t take long for Justin Forsett to land back in Baltimore. CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora tweets that the veteran running back has agreed to re-sign with the Ravens. CSN’s Clifton Brown tweets that Forsett will be at practice on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old was released by the team on Saturday, although reports immediately indicated that he’d likely return to the Ravens. There seemed to have been some prearranged agreement between the two sides. The Ravens cleared at least $3MM in cap (not including the $700K in dead money) be releasing Forsett this weekend.

Following a 2014 season that saw him set career-highs in rushing yards (1,266), rushing touchdowns (eight) and receptions (44), Forsett came back down to earth in 2015. The veteran appeared in only ten games, compiling 641 yards on 155 carries. Still, Forsett managed to average 4.2-yards-per-carry, solid numbers for a veteran running back.

Without Forsett, the Ravens would have been forced to rely on Terrance West and Javorius Allen. Rookie Kenneth Dixon is also in the picture, although the fourth-rounder is currently battling a knee injury.

Ravens Place Carl Davis, Matt Elam on IR

September 5th, 2016 at 1:52pm CST by Ben Levine

The Ravens placed a pair of defenders on the injured reserve this afternoon. Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun tweets that the team has placed defensive tackle Carl Davis and safety Matt Elam on the injured reserve list. Zrebiec notes that the team will use the open roster spots on return man Devin Hester and running back Justin Forsett.

Davis, 24, suffered an ankle injury during his team’s final preseason game. The former third-rounder played in 13 games (three starts) as a rookie, compiling 11 tackles and two passes defended. Roster Resource projected Davis to serve as the team’s top reserve nose tackle.

Elam, 24, was the Ravens’ first-round pick back in 2013. The safety showed plenty of promise through his first two years in the league, compiling 127 tackles, seven passes defended, and an interception in 32 games. Elam missed all of 2015 with a biceps injury, and he was battling a knee injury throughout this preseason.