Here is today’s workout news from around the NFL:
Baltimore Ravens
- CB’s Jonathon Mincy, Loucheiz Purifoy (via Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com)
Here is today’s workout news from around the NFL:
Baltimore Ravens
Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City Chiefs
New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers
Canton, Ohio – home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame – recently submitted an application to host the NFL Draft in either 2019 or 2020, as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes. It’s not immediately clear if Canton would host the draft in the Hall of Fame Village or at the aging Canton Civic Center or somewhere else, but the Hall of Fame is likely looking for a major event to bring attention and traffic to it’s ongoing renovation project. “I can’t guarantee it’s going to happen,” HOF president David Baker said. “But we’re gonna fight awful hard for this thing.”
Here’s more from around the NFL:
AUGUST 22nd, 8:35am: Bush has been suspended an additional 10 games by the NFL, reports Field Yates of ESPN (via Twitter). The free agent had originally been punished for violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy. In March, he was arrested in California for public intoxication, though no charges were filed (via Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post).
JULY 13th, 1:06pm: According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com, Bush’s four-game suspension was for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances, and was unrelated to his March arrest.
8:57am: The NFL made headlines before the July 4th weekend earlier this month when it announced suspensions for four notable players, including Antonio Gates, Rolando McClain, and Sheldon Richardson. According to Howard Balzer of The Sports Xchange, the league has now confirmed four more suspensions, though the latest penalties won’t have quite the same impact on the coming season.
All four players who received suspensions from the league are currently free agents, according to Balzer, who reports that the most notable recipient is former Packers defensive back Jarrett Bush. Former Cowboys safety Jakar Hamilton, ex-Colts cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy, and former Patriots running back Quentin Hines have also been suspended for the start of the 2015 regular season.
Hamilton and Purifoy received the most significant suspensions, and will miss the first 10 weeks of the season, likely for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. It’s the second suspension for Hamilton, who was banned for four games last year. Purifoy, meanwhile, has a history of off-field red flags, and when the Colts cut him last year, head coach Chuck Pagano called it an “in-house deal.”
Bush’s suspension will be for four games, following an incident in March in which he was arrested – but not charged – for public intoxication. It’s not clear whether the former Green Bay cornerback, who initially failed to cooperate with officers, is being disciplined for that incident or for some other violation of a league policy, as Balzer took to Twitter to clarify.
Finally, Hines will be suspended for the first week of the 2015 season — the reason for his penalty isn’t known.
All four players are still eligible to sign with any NFL team, but they’ll have to serve their suspensions before seeing the field.
Veteran Bears corner Charles Tillman has been on injured reserve since mid-September after tearing his triceps in Week 2, but the time off hasn’t lessened his urge to return to game action in 2015. “I would like to continue to play,” Tillman told ESPN 1000 today (link via Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com). “Right now, all I want to do is get healthy before I make a decision to retire or to continue to play. I have every intent of coming back and playing.” Additionally, the 12-year veteran won’t limit himself to only playing for Chicago. “I’m willing to play for all 32 organizations, whoever is interested,” said Tillman. “That’s the business side. Do I love Chicago? Yeah, but at the end of the day, if Chicago didn’t want me back and that team wanted me, or this team wanted me, or that team, yeah, I’ve got to go. They’re going to pay my bills. So, sorry.” Here’s more from the NFC North.
MONDAY, 4:40pm: Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter) that Purifoy did not pass his physical. Seattle still has an open roster spot as a result.
FRIDAY, 8:25pm: A day after he was unexpectedly cut by the Colts, defensive back Loucheiz Purifoy has been claimed off waivers by the Seahawks, per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets that the team placed linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis on the injured reserve list to create an opening on the 53-man roster for Purifoy.
Purifoy, who will turn 22 in December, signed with the Colts in May as an undrafted free agent out of Florida, and had been a regular contributor on special teams for the club for most of the season. His release on Thanksgiving came as something of a surprise, leading to speculation that it was a non-football decision. However, presumably the Seahawks did their homework on the rookie defensive back and were comfortable bringing him aboard.
As for Pierre-Louis, the 2014 fourth-rounder played sparingly for the Seahawks this season, and had been sidelined since Week 11 with a shoulder injury. The move to IR ends his rookie year, but he remains under team control for several more years.
In advance of this weekend’s game against Washington, the Colts have made a change to their 53-man roster, agreeing to terms with one cornerback and cutting another. The team is signing Jalil Brown and placing Loucheiz Purifoy on waivers to clear a roster spot, according to a press release.
Brown, 27, was with the Colts earlier this season, but was cut several weeks ago when safety LaRon Landry returned from his suspension. In the interim, the former fourth-round pick spent some time with the Dolphins, but found himself on the market again this week after being released by Miami on Tuesday.
As Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star and Mike Chappell of RTV6 note (via Twitter), the Colts’ decision to cut Purifoy seems a little strange, since the team seemed to like him, and he was contributing on special teams. Even if Indianapolis wanted to make sure to get Brown back into the fold, the release of Purifoy doesn’t appear to be a football-based decision, according to Holder (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 11:10am: The Colts have added another name to their UDFA haul, announcing in a press release that they’ve also agreed to terms with Florida cornerback Loucheiz Purifoy.
SUNDAY, 1:44pm: The Colts have agreed to terms with 19 undrafted free agents, the team announced today in a press release. Here’s a complete list of the players heading to Indianapolis: