Kenny Bell

NFL Workout Updates: 9/27/16

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:

NFL Workout Updates: 9/23/16

As the NFL enters Week 3, clubs continue to audition players with an eye towards updating their emergency lists. Here are the latest workout notes from around the league:

  • Two running backs (Zac Brooks and Gus Johnson) and three receivers (Mario Alford, Kenny Bell and Cayleb Jones) auditioned for the Browns on Friday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter links). The only member of the quintet with game experience is Alford, who saw action in one contest with the Bengals as a seventh-round rookie last year and caught a single pass.
  • Running back Kenny Hilliard will try out for the Seahawks on Monday, tweets Wilson. Hilliard, formerly of LSU, went to Houston in the seventh round of last year’s draft. Hilliard didn’t garner any experience as a rookie with the Texans, who cut him Sept. 2.
  • Cornerback Tye Smith and guard Darrelle Greene worked out for the Jets on Friday, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle and Rich Cimini of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Smith, whom the Seahawks chose in the fifth round of last year’s draft, appeared in four games as a rookie. Seattle cut him from its practice squad Tuesday. Greene was previously with the Eagles, who axed him from their practice squad Wednesday.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/8/16

Thursday’s minor moves from around the NFL:

  • The Saints have added quarterback Garrett Grayson and defensive back Taveze Calhoun to their practice squad (Twitter links via Jason Cole of Bleacher Report and Nick Underhill of the New Orleans Advocate). The Saints cut Grayson on Wednesday, but the 2015 third-round pick cleared waivers and quickly returned to the organization.
  • The Texans announced they waived cornerback Duke Thomas from injured reserve with an injury settlement, Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Former San Diego cornerback Steve Williams has signed with the Rams, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. Williams also drew interest from several other teams, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com hears (Twitter link).
  • The Seahawks have signed cornerback Tye Smith to their practice squad and cut defensive tackle Tylor Harris, reports Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter link).
  • The Jaguars announced that receiver Tony Washington has been waived via injury settlement.
  • The Patriots have waived linebacker Kevin Snyder with an injury settlement, tweets Doug Kyed of NESN.
  • The Buccaneers and wideout Kenny Bell have reached an injury settlement, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).
  • The Colts have waived corner Tevin Mitchel from IR with an injury settlement, per George Bremer of the Herald Bulletin (Twitter link).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Buccaneers Down To 53 Man Roster

The Buccaneers have trimmed down to 53 with more than 24 hours to go before the deadline. According to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, the following players have been dropped from the roster: "<strong

Among the cuts, Vitale’s is one of the most surprising. The Bucs are planning on carrying five tight ends, yet the sixth-round pick out of Northwestern apparently did not show enough to make the cut. The Bucs will have Cameron Brate, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Luke Stocker, Brandon Myers, and UDFA Alan Cross on the roster to open up the season instead. Myers and Cross were both considered to be on the bubble somewhat, but they have impressed Dirk Koetter & Co. to the point where they are going to carry five tight ends and bounce a sixth-round pick in order to keep both of them. Myers was inactive for the Bucs’ final five games of 2015 as a healthy scratch.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Buccaneers’ Kenny Bell Out For Season

Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Kenny Bell will miss the 2015 season because of a hamstring injury, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link).

Bell, a fifth-round pick from Nebraska, suffered the injury last month. At the time, Cummings wrote that Bell was impressive for the Bucs in training camp, though he was held without a catch during the preseason. Head coach Lovie Smith was unsure then if Bell had done enough to earn a roster spot.

“Have we seen enough? No, it’s not like he’s done enough right now where we can say we definitely know which direction to go,” Smith said.

Bell had a prolific college career, catching 181 passes and 21 touchdowns in four years with the Cornhuskers.

NFC Notes: Dill, Brown, Bell, Saints

Backup Cowboys offensive tackle R.J. Dill has been suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the policy on performance-enhancing substances, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).

Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram passed on a statement from Dill regarding the suspension (via Twitter). “My doctor suggested that I undergo testosterone replacement therapy, and I accepted the recommended treatment.”

Charles Robinson of Yahoo! notes that needing testosterone replacement for a 24-year-old professional athlete like Dill would be a rarity (via Twitter).

Here are some other notes from around the NFC:

  • The Texans just released Stevie Brown, and the Giants could be interested in bringing him back, given their current situation at safety, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN (via Twitter). Graziano adds that injury concerns led to the Giants passing on him in the spring, but as they have been saddled with injuries at safety (via Twitter).
  • Speaking of injured Giants safety, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com is skeptical the Giants will keep Nat Berhe on the roster this season if he will miss the first four games of the season, maybe more (via Twitter). It could be way more, as surgery could end his season.
  • Buccaneers’ fifth-round pick Kenny Bell will sit out of tomorrow’s preseason game against the Browns with a hamstring injury, and could miss the rest of the preseason, writes Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune. If he does miss the rest of the preseason, it could effect whether or not he makes the 53-man roster come Week 1.
  • As the regular season comes closer, the Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com opens his mailbag to discuss what the final roster will look like after the team is forced to cut it down first to 75 players and then 53 before Week 1. He is skeptical the Saints will keep more than four or five receivers, leaving Seantavious Jones and Willie Snead IV on the outside looking in. He also opines on which running back and defensive linemen on the bubble will find their way onto the roster for the regular season.

Extra Points: Nicks, Ravens, Miles, Draft

Outside of a visit to the 49ers, free agent receiver Hakeem Nicks hasn’t garnered any known interest on the open market. But the 27-year-old insists he’s not done in the NFL. “I’m nowhere near finished, man, and I want to prove that to the world and everybody,” Nicks told Mike Garfolo of FOX Sports. “That’s definitely my mentality, but I don’t even want to talk about it. I feel like I got into that situation last year talking about it. I’m about to just go out there and prove it.”

Here’s more from around the league…

  • The Ravens have stayed in touch with safety Jeromy Miles, but there’s no deal between the two sides at this time, according to Aaron Wilson of The Balitmore Sun (via Twitter).
  • Arizona State safety Damarious Randall will visit the Buccaneers on Sunday, and already had a private workout with the club, according to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).
  • Nebraska receiver Kenny Bell worked out for the Texans recently, and he’ll meet with the Colts on Wednesday, tweets Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
  • Defensive end Marcus Rush already worked out for the Bengals and Raiders, and the Michigan State product will also take a visit with Cincinnati, per Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link).
  • The Lions will take a look at Western Oregon receiver Tyrell Williams on Monday, while the Cardinals will meet with him later in the week, says Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
  • Illinois tight end Matt LaCosse will take a predraft visit with the Packers on Friday, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link).
  • Robert Klemko of TheMMQB.com spoke with the general managers of two clubs — the Ravens and the Steelers — who usually pick near the end of the first round of the draft, and gauged each team’s strategy for acquiring value while picking in the 20s.

Zach Links contributed to this post.