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Kendall Wright

Vikings Trim Roster To 53

September 1st, 2018 at 4:08pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Vikings have announced all of their cuts, getting their roster down to 53. Here are the moves:

Waived:

Placed on Reserve/Retired:

Placed on Reserve/Suspended:

Activated from Physically Unable to Perform:

Vikings To Release WR Kendall Wright

September 1st, 2018 at 1:47pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Vikings plan to release wide receiver Kendall Wright, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). The move comes as somewhat of a surprise, as it had looked like Wright was safe. 

A first round pick back in 2012, Wright spent the first five years of his career with the Titans. He then spent 2017 with the Bears before signing a one-year deal with Minnesota back in March. Pelissero notes the team signed him “as an option in the slot”, but that recent first round pick Laquon Treadwell‘s “strong preseason” helped push him off the roster.

Wright ended up the “odd man out” in the Vikings’ receiving corp, but has proven to be a steady, if uninspiring, receiving option and should be able to land somewhere when the dust settles. Last year he caught 59 passes for 614 yards and one touchdown, ending the season as the leading receiver in Chicago.

The best year of Wright’s career came back in 2013, when he caught 94 balls for 1,079 yards and two touchdowns. He also visited the Chiefs before signing with the Vikings, and will be one of the most high profile receivers left on the market once rosters are set.

Extra Points: Pats, Browns, Bucs, Vikings

August 9th, 2018 at 9:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Patriots edge rusher Harvey Langi is expected to miss at least four weeks after suffering an internal laceration caused by a hit during practice, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic (Twitter link). While the issue certainly seems serious, a source tells Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (Twitter link) that the injury is relatively minor, and Langi is simply being sidelined for “precautionary reasons.” This isn’t the first time Langi has been hurt by a freak injury, as he and his wife were involved in a serious car crash last October that ultimately landed him on the non-football injury list. An undrafted free agent out of BYU in 2017, Langi was a hot commodity as a UDFA and was reportedly impressing in camp. While this latest health issue may not affect him for the long-term, Langi will lose valuable reps as the preseason continues.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • After being cited for marijuana possession over the weekend, Browns receiver Antonio Callaway intends to fight the charge by arguing the drugs weren’t his, tweets Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Cleveland management wasn’t made aware of Callaway’s arrest until media reports surfaced, and the club made it clear to Callaway that his actions were unacceptable, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. However, general manager John Dorsey believes Callaway did not actually smoke marijuana on the night he was cited, and indicated the Browns have a “low tolerance” policy — in contrast to a “zero tolerance” approach — for minor transgressions. Callaway, a fourth-round rookie out of Florida, is already impressing in his first NFL action tonight as Cleveland faces the Giants.
  • The Buccaneers view second-year wideout Chris Godwin as a starter, writes Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times. Head coach Dirk Koetter says Tampa Bay essentially has four starting receivers, pointing to Godwin, Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, and Adam Humphries as players deserving of playing time. How exactly snaps will shake out once the regular season gets underway is unclear, but Jackson or Humphries, the latter of whom is a slot-only weapon, could be demoted to create space for Godwin. While playing roughly 40% of the the Buccaneers’ snaps in 2017, Godwin managed 34 catches and 525 yards.
  • While Godwin looks to be in line for an expanded role, the same can’t be said for Vikings free agent acquisition Kendall Wright. Because Wright, who signed a one-year deal with Minnesota after spending the 2017 season in Chicago, doesn’t play special teams, he’s shaping up as a weekly inactive, tweets Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Wright, 28, posted 58 receptions in a poor Bears passing offense a year ago, and had been expected to see time as the Vikings’ slot receiver. Instead, other options such as Laquon Treadwell, Tavarres King, or Brandon Zylstra may see more action.

Latest On Terrance Williams Situation

May 26th, 2018 at 6:16pm CST by Sam Robinson

The bizarre twist in the Terrance Williams car-crash saga involved Kendall Wright after the Cowboys wide receiver said the new Vikings pass-catcher was, in fact, the driver of the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Williams and Wright were teammates at Baylor together and had spent time together earlier on the night of the accident. But both Williams’ attorney, Chip Lewis, and Vikings GM Rick Spielman deny it was Wright who was behind the wheel.

“I have spoken directly with Kendall and his agent and both have assured me there is no truth to the matter,” Spielman said, via Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Police arrested Williams, whose statement indicated he was the driver of the vehicle, for leaving the scene of an accident and for public intoxication. Williams told police he’d gotten a call from Wright informing him of the Lamborghini crash, but police were suspicious of this claim since Williams subsequently admitted his phone was still in the car at that point. Williams’ public statement of the events of that sequence did not include Wright.

Latest On Cowboys WR Terrance Williams

May 24th, 2018 at 9:47pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The recent incident involving Cowboys wide receiver Terrance Williams continues to get more and more bizarre as the story unfolds. First, Williams was arrested this past Saturday and charged with public intoxication and leaving the scene of an accident. What’s undisputed is that Williams’ Lamborghini crashed and he was detained while riding an electric scooter near the scene.

Williams then released a statement the day after accepting responsibility for the accident, saying that a car slammed on its brakes in front of him and he swerved to avoid it, but denied he was intoxicated. A wrinkle was thrown into the case when police released a video this morning of Williams the night of the accident contradicting his initial public account. Williams is shown telling officers that it wasn’t him who was driving the car that night, and that it was actually his friend and fellow wide receiver Kendall Wright of the Vikings.

The officers didn’t buy Williams’ claim that he wasn’t even in the car that night, as his phone was inside the vehicle. They arrested him, but the details about Wright’s alleged involvement stayed under wraps until today.

Williams’ lawyer then clarified earlier today once the video blew up online that Wright was not involved after all (Twitter link via Dallas Morning News’ Brandon George). Vikings general manager Rick Spielman then followed up and said the Vikings were standing by Wright and that Wright and his agent both assured him there was no truth to Williams’ accusation (Twitter link via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin).

Williams was already in a good amount of trouble, but his puzzling and now apparently false explanation that it was Wright who crashed his car could make matters even worse. He could be looking at a possible suspension from the league.

Working as the Cowboys’ number two receiver the past few years, Williams was theoretically in line for an increased workload after the release of Dez Bryant. The Cowboys signed Allen Hurns in free agency, but Williams was thought to have the inside track at being the team’s number one receiving option. It’s unclear if this arrest or possible suspension will change the Cowboys’ plans.

Last season, Williams caught 53 passes for 568 yards. He caught zero touchdowns for the first time in his career. Whatever happens, it’s a headache that the Cowboys absolutely don’t need in the midst of an already tumultuous offseason.

Contract Details: Browns, Janis, Wright

April 5th, 2018 at 12:54pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look at the details of some recent free agent deals:

  • The Browns got former Packers wide receiver Jeff Janis on a one-year, $1.25MM deal with no guaranteed money, Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel tweets. He’ll have to make the 53-man roster to earn any cash, but the deal does include a $100K workout bonus. If he sticks, the contract will call for a $1.25MM cap number.
  • Wide receiver Kendall Wright’s deal with the Vikings is worth $1MM with $400K guaranteed, Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune tweets. The pack includes an $800K base salary, $100K signing bonus, and a $100K workout bonus.
  • Tight end Bucky Hodges’ contract with the Jets is a two-year deal worth $1.075MM, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com tweets. The pact includes a $25K roster bonus if he is on the 53-man roster in Week 1.

Vikings To Sign WR Kendall Wright

March 30th, 2018 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are signing wide receiver Kendall Wright, sources tell Mike Garafolo and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (on Twitter). Wright visited with Minnesota earlier this week and a deal quickly materialized. 

[RELATED: Vikings Re-Sign CB/PR Marcus Sherels]

Wright had 59 catches for 614 yards and a touchdown with the Bears last year. Now, he’ll join up with their divisional rival as one of Kirk Cousins‘ receiving targets.

Wright will join Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, and former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell on the wide receiver depth chart. With Michael Floyd out of the picture, Wright will have an opportunity to get involved in the passing game, though he may not match the 91 targets he saw in 2017. The Vikings also have Stacy Coley, Cayleb Jones and Brandon Zylstra at wide receiver.

The veteran also met with the Chiefs during free agency, but it’s not clear if he received an offer or how high their level of interest was.

Kendall Wright To Visit With Vikings

March 29th, 2018 at 5:02pm CST by Ryan Posner

The Vikings hosted free-agent wide receiver Kendall Wright for a visit, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The former Titans and Bears wideout has also visited with the Chiefs this offseason.

Wright, 28, spent last season with the Bears and hauled in 59 catches for 614 yards and a touchdown. We had Wright ranked as our No. 15 wide receiver available in free agency this offseason. Of the players on the list, he’s ranked as the third-best still available, behind Jordan Matthews and Brice Butler.

The Bears signed Wright to a one-year, $4MM deal last offseason and his stat line in his one year in Chicago was his best since 2014 with the Titans when he had 715 yards receiving and six touchdown catches. The Bears had already added Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel in free agency this offseason. Wright spent the first five years of his career in Tennessee after being taken with the 20th overall pick of the 2011 draft.

Wright would provide another weapon for newly-signed quarterback Kirk Cousins to go with the likes of Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and former first-round pick Laquon Treadwell. Minnesota indicated earlier this offseason that it would not be re-signing wide receiver Michael Floyd. Behind Treadwell, the Vikings also have Stacy Coley, Cayleb Jones and Brandon Zylstra at wide receiver.

Chiefs Meet With WR Kendall Wright

March 22nd, 2018 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Wide receiver Kendall Wright will visit with the Chiefs on Thursday, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM tweets. Wright spent last season with the Bears. 

Wright could help the Chiefs replace slot receiver Albert Wilson, who departed in free agency to sign a three-year, $24MM deal with the Dolphins. Wilson is three years Wright’s junior and may have more potential, but Wright is coming off of a stronger season, at least, in terms of stats. Wright caught 59 passes for 614 yards and one touchdown, giving him his strongest stat line since 2014.

We ranked Wright as the 15th best available wide receiver heading into free agency, but his market has been slow to develop. Now that the bigger names are off of the board, Wright may find a home.

The Chiefs lost Wilson, but they upgraded their WR group by signing Sammy Watkins to a hefty multi-year deal. They’ll also return with Tyreek Hill, who racked up nearly 1,200 receiving yards in 2017 en route to a second Pro Bowl appearance.

Top 2018 NFL Free Agents By Position: Offense

March 5th, 2018 at 10:09pm CST by Zachary Links

NFL free agency will get underway on Wednesday, March 14th, and while the list of free agents will change between now and then, we do have some idea of who will be available when free agency kicks off. The frenzy is right around the corner and it’s time for us to break down the outlook for each position. We’ll start today on offense, before getting to defense and special teams later this week.

Listed below are our rankings for the top 15 free agents at each offensive position. The rankings aren’t necessarily determined by the value of the contracts that each player is expected to land in free agency, they are simply the players we like the most at each position, with both short- and long-term value taken into account. Restricted and exclusive-rights free agents are not listed here since they are unlikely to actually reach the open market. The same goes for players who have been franchise tagged or transition tagged.

We’ll almost certainly be higher or lower on some guys than you are, so we encourage you to make your voice heard in our comments section to let us know which free agents we’ve got wrong.

Here’s our breakdown of the current top 15 free agents by offensive position for 2018:

Quarterback:

  1. Kirk Cousins
  2. Drew Brees
  3. Case Keenum
  4. A.J. McCarron
  5. Sam Bradford
  6. Teddy Bridgewater
  7. Colin Kaepernick
  8. Josh McCown
  9. Mike Glennon
  10. Drew Stanton
  11. Jay Cutler
  12. Chase Daniel
  13. Ryan Fitzpatrick
  14. Brock Osweiler
  15. Tom Savage

There were many difficult calls when putting this list together, but ranking Kirk Cousins as the No. 1 QB available was not among them. Cousins is the best quarterback to reach free agency in recent history and he’ll become the highest-paid player of all-time – at least, for some period of time – in mid-March. Who will make history with Cousins? That’s anyone’s guess right now. The Browns have more cap room than any other team, but a recent report from Adam Schefter of ESPN.com listed the Broncos, Cardinals, Jets, and Vikings as the final suitors for Cousins. Of those four, the Jets have the most money to work with, but they’re concerned about the Vikings winning out and Cousins’ desire to win could point him in another direction. If the Broncos and Cardinals want in on the Cousins sweepstakes, they’ll have to get creative with the books.

Drew Brees is included here, but by his own admission, he’ll be re-signing with the Saints rather than testing the open waters of free agency. Unless the Saints lowball their franchise QB, it’s hard to see him leaving New Orleans.

Case Keenum put together a tremendous season for the Vikings, but he doesn’t have a history of success beyond 2017. There will be plenty of interest in Keenum, but only after QB-needy teams strike out on Cousins. The incumbent Vikings could re-sign Keenum, but right now, it seems like they are intent on exploring the Cousins waters first.

There isn’t a ton of footage on A.J. McCarron, which made his placement on this list awfully tricky. We know this much: McCarron did well in place of Dalton in the home stretch of the 2015 season and his former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson was salivating at the chance of landing him before the Browns bungled the trade with the Bengals. McCarron’s relative youth is a plus (he won’t turn 28 until September) and his lack of experience can be looked at as a positive. Unlike some of the other names on this list, he hasn’t run up his NFL odometer.

What will NFL teams make of Teddy Bridgewater and Sam Bradford this offseason? Not long ago, both seemed like quality starting options. However, there are serious injury questions about both players and any team signing them will either look to backstop them with another decent option or ask them to come onboard as a QB2. With that in mind, one has to wonder if Bradford would consider retirement if asked to hold the clipboard for another signal caller. Bradford has earned upwards of $110MM over the years in the NFL, so it’s safe to say that he has enough money in the bank to call it quits if he wants. For now, he’s intent on playing.

Colin Kaepernick‘s placement on this list is sure to draw some strong reactions from his fans and detractors alike. Looking purely at his football ability, there’s no question that he belongs on someone’s roster. At minimum, Kaepernick profiles as a high-end backup, even after a year out of the game.

Quarterbacks coaches have long believed that Mike Glennon is capable of great things, due in part to his height. At 6’7″, he can see over any defensive line, but he hasn’t done much on the field to prove that he is a quality Week 1 starting option. Josh McCown, who is a decade his senior, edges him here for his surprisingly strong performance in 2017 at the helm of a weak Jets offense.

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