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MeKale McKay

Minor NFL Transactions: 1/12/17

January 12th, 2017 at 8:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are today’s minor moves.

  • The Dolphins have signed former Olympian and San Francisco defensive lineman Lawrence Okoye, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The 12th-place finisher in the discus throw at the 2012 London Summer Games, the 25-year-old Brit spent time with the Bears this season but did not see any game action. Chicago relocated Okoye to the offensive line, though, so it will be interesting to see where Miami uses him.
  • The Broncos signed wide receiver Mekale McKay to a futures deal, Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post reports (on Twitter). A 6-foot-5 target, McKay spent the 2016 season booking several auditions but did not catch on until the Broncos added him today. The 23-year-old Cincinnati product originally a 2016 UDFA with the Colts.

NFL Workout Notes: Bucs, Jags, Colts, Chargers

November 29th, 2016 at 8:50pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Before signing defensive back Major Wright earlier today, the Buccaneers also worked out fellow safeties Jeron Johnson and Duke Williams, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Johnson, a career special-teamer, signed a two-year deal to become a starter for the Redskins prior to the 2015 campaign, but flamed out after only one season. He signed on with the Chiefs but was cut this summer, and has been on the workout circuit ever since. Williams, meanwhile, had started 10 games over the past four years for Buffalo, but was waived to make room for Percy Harvin earlier this month.

Here’s more on today’s NFL auditions:

  • The Jaguars tried out three wide receivers on Monday, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union tweets. DeAndre Carter (Sacramento State), Cayleb Jones (Arizona), and Mekale McKay (Cincinnati) all auditioned for Jacksonville. Jaguars receiver Allen Hurns left Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury and didn’t return, so Jacksonville could be looking to add a bit of depth in the meantime.
  • Linebacker Beniquez Brown, cornerback Trae Elston, tight end Gabe Hughes, and quarterback Keith Wenning worked out for the Colts today, reports Howard Balzer of BalzerFootball.com (Twitter link). Indianapolis has been hit with injuries all over its roster, and Wenning, in particular, could be a safety net in case Andrew Luck suffers a setback in his recovery from a concussion.
  • The Chargers auditioned defensive backs Randall Evans and Solomon Means, tweets Balzer. San Diego is currently missing cornerback Brandon Flowers (concussion), while safety Jahleel Addae just returned on Sunday after recovering from a broken collarbone.
  • The Packers tried out offensive tackle Ryker Matthews today, per Balzer (Twitter link).

Workout Notes: Bears, Pack, Chiefs, Pats

October 24th, 2016 at 6:20pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Redskins worked out six free agents – including defensive tackle Jordan Hill – on Monday, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Also among their tryouts: Running back Isaiah Pead; quarterback Josh Woodrum; receivers Matt Hazel and Mekale McKay; and defensive end Sterling Bailey. and Hill was a backup from 2013-15 in Seattle, where he appeared in 27 regular-season games and recorded seven sacks (5.5 in 2014).

More workouts from Monday:

  • Cornerbacks Darryl Morris, Shaun Prater, Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Melvin White auditioned for the Bears, tweets Caplan. Chicago is on the hunt for defensive back help after getting torched by the Packers on Thursday Night Football.
  • The Packers worked out six receivers – Mario Alford, Dez Stewart, Harvey Binford, Da’Ron Brown, Marcus Johnson and Wendall Williams – according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Stewart ended up signing with their practice squad. Guard Josh Walker and quarterback Keith Wenning were also among Green Bay’s tryouts Monday. Walker was previously with the Packers, who waived/injured him in training camp.
  • Receiver Cayleb Jones tried out for the Chiefs, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The 6’3″, 205-pound receiver spent training camp with Philadelphia.
  • The Patriots auditioned safety Shamiel Gary, per Doug Kyed of NESN (Twitter link). The ex-Dolphin was with the Patriots for a brief period in 2014.
  • The Cowboys took a look at defensive tackles Montori Hughes and Casey Walker, reports Caplan (Twitter link). The team doesn’t plan to sign either of them, however, according to Clarence Hill of the Star-Telegram (via Twitter).

Zach Links contributed to this post.

AFC Workout Notes: Colts, Chiefs, Ravens, Pats

October 18th, 2016 at 7:36pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Free agent receiver Aaron Dobson visited the Colts on Tuesday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (Twitter link). Dobson has worked out for several teams and had multiple stints with the Lions since the Patriots cut him Sept. 3. The three-year veteran has 53 receptions and four touchdowns in 24 games (13 starts).

The Colts also worked out running back David Cobb (Twitter link). The former Titan has tried out for a bevy of clubs since Tennessee cut him in August. Cobb briefly caught on with the Steelers, who waived him from their practice squad last week.

Along with Dobson and Cobb, receiver Marcus Leak, tight ends Alex Bayer and Darion Griswold, and linebackers Trevor Reilly and James Vaughters tried out with the Colts, tweets Howard Balzer of USA Today.

More workouts from the AFC (courtesy of Caplan, unless otherwise noted):

  • In addition to defensive end Kendall Reyes, whom they signed, the Chiefs tried out fellow DE Lynden Trail on Tuesday, according to Nick Underhill of the Advocate (Twitter link). Joining them were linebackers Deion Barnes, Randell Johnson, and Kyle Kragen.
  • Veteran offensive lineman Garrett Reynolds worked out for the Ravens on Tuesday (Twitter link). Reynolds has been on the radar of a few teams since Los Angeles released him prior to Week 1. The 29-year-old has 42 appearances and 23 starts on his resume.
  • The Patriots tried out out two offensive tackles – Ryan Mack and Pearce Slater – as well as defensive end Jordan Williams, reports Doug Kyed of NESN (via Twitter).
  • Along with linebacker Quentin Gaus and tight end Steven Scheu, both of whom joined their practice squad, the Broncos worked out linebackers Lenny Jones, J.R. Tavai and Kyrie Wilson; defensive ends Deonte Gibson, Ian Seau and Josh Shirley; and safety Elijah Shumate (Twitter links via Balzer).
  • The Texans worked out safety Don Jones and a pair of cornerbacks, Denzel Rice and Charles Gaines (Twitter link).
  • Running back Mekale McKay and Jhurell Pressley tried out for the Jets, according to Balzer (Twitter link).
  • Three tight ends – Kivon Cartwright, Tim Semisch and Gannon Sinclair – worked out for the Titans, tweets Balzer.

Extra Points: 49ers, Browns, Saints, Fins, Lions

September 14th, 2016 at 9:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

49ers offensive lineman Anthony Davis wasn’t willing to speak at length Wednesday about last weekend’s retirement rumors, offering that his absence came down to “miscommunication” (via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com). “Just leave it and let it fester,” said Davis, who was a backup for the 49ers’ 28-0 win over the Rams on Monday. That was Davis’ first game since 2014, as the 26-year-old took a hiatus from football last season. It was also the only appearanced he hasn’t started in since the 49ers chose him in the first round of the 2010 draft. Davis had logged 71 consecutive starts entering Week 1.

More from around the NFL as Wednesday wraps up:

  • First-year Browns head coach Hue Jackson is at the helm of of a rebuilding team that many expect to be the NFL’s worst this season. That didn’t stop Jackson from making some bold declarations Wednesday. “The fans might not like me for a while, but they’re going to love me here pretty soon,” said Jackson (per Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com). “We’re going to win a championship here for the Cleveland Browns,” he added. The Browns, who are 0-1 after a 29-10 loss in Philadelphia, haven’t won a championship since 1964, haven’t made the playoffs since 2003, and haven’t finished with more than seven victories in a season since 2007. If a turnaround comes, it’s going to take time, and Marla Ridnour of Ohio.com wonders if owner Jimmy Haslam is patient enough to stick with Jackson through the club’s growing pains. Although Haslam has fired three general managers, three head coaches, two presidents and a CEO since taking over the Browns in 2012, he offered a glowing assessment of Jackson on Wednesday. “Hue relates well to everybody in the building and keeps everybody in the building fired up, which is important because your head coach is and should be the face of the organization, so he does a great job there. For the first time since we’ve been here, everybody’s on the same page.”
  • The Saints worked out return man Jeff Henderson on Wednesday, according to Howard Balzer (Twitter link). Henderson, who tried to a earn a spot with the Chiefs in May, won a gold medal in the long jump at this year’s Olympics.
  • Wide receiver Justin Hunter has taken a pay cut since the Dolphins claimed him off waivers from the Titans earlier this month, tweets Field Yates of ESPN. Hunter’s new 2016 salary is $675K, down from the $1,114,656 he was supposed to rake in this season. The fourth-year man will have a chance to collect $350K in incentives, though, and he landed a $52,267 bonus.
  • Along with he previously reported Nate Washington, the Lions auditioned a pair of other receivers – Mekale McKay and Levi Norwood – and quarterback Philip Sims on Wednesday, per Balzer (Twitter link).
  • Agent Ben Dogra will serve a six-month suspension and pay $25K to the Gene Upshaw Players Assistance Trust for an undisclosed violation, reports Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Daily. The NFLPA’s Committee on Agent Regulation & Discipline levied the punishment on Dogra, though it initially voted in January to revoke his certification and give him the right to re-apply after serving a three-year ban and paying a $200K fine. Dogra was formerly the co-CEO of Relatively Football, which relaunched as Independent Sports and Entertainment in June. It’s unclear if Dogra is with Independent, writes Mullen.

Workout Notes: 9/7/16

September 7th, 2016 at 8:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest workouts from around the NFL.

  • The Patriots tried out eight free agents today, Doug Kyed of NESN.com reports. Quarterback Sean Renfree joined wide receivers Da’Ron Brown, Jordan Leslie, Max McCaffrey, Mekale McKay and DeAndrew White, along with linebacker Deon King and defensive lineman B.J. McBryde. Renfree may be the highest-profile player in this bunch to have auditioned. A former Falcons seventh-round pick in 2013, Renfree saw brief action last season but couldn’t make it out of training camp with Atlanta this season.
  • The Bengals worked out linebacker/defensive end Sadat Sulleyman today, as Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. The team also worked out cornerback Robertson Daniel, as Wilson tweets.
  • Former Texans running back Kenny Hilliard is drawing interest from multiple NFL teams, per Wilson (on Twitter) but is still weighing his options.
  • The Seahawks auditioned defensive end Dominique Davis, edge defender Jason Fanaika, defensive end Shelby Harris and offensive lineman Ian Silberman, Wilson tweets. The Raiders cut Harris this offseason after the former seventh-round pick played in eight games with the team in 2014-15.

Buccaneers Work Out Jacquizz Rodgers

September 6th, 2016 at 7:39pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Buccaneers worked out a handful of players today, including veteran running back Jacquizz Rodgers, according to Jenna Laine and Field Yates of ESPN.com. Tampa Bay also worked former collegiate QB Blake Sims (as a running back) and running back Antone Smith, per the ESPN scribes. Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com (Twitter link) reports that the Bucs looked at former Bengals linebacker P.J. Dawson, while Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links) says Tampa auditioned receivers DeAndrew White and Mekale McKay.Jacquizz Rodgers (Vertical)

[RELATED: Buccaneers Sign Cecil Shorts]

Rodgers, 26, is typically regarded as a strong pass protector (and therefore a solid third down back), and could provide some depth behind Doug Martin and Charles Sims, and act as an upgrade on Mike James. Fellow running back Smith could also help in that regard, but he’s four years older than Rodgers. Both, however, offer familiarity with Tampa head coach Dirk Koetter, as each played in Koetter’s Falcons offense.

Dawson, a third-round pick in the 2015 draft, was surprisingly waived by Cincinnati over the weekend, and recent reports have indicated that Bengals coaches found him to be unreliable on the field. Still, he offers talent, and like the two running backs, Dawson has ties to the Buccaneers’ coaching staff. New Tampa Bay defensive line coach Jay Hayes coached the same position group in Cincinnati, and though he didn’t directly oversee Dawson, Hayes can likely vouch for TCU alum’s ability.

The trio of McKay, Sims, and White, meanwhile, has never taken a snap in the NFL. White originally signed with the 49ers as an undrafted free agent earlier this year, but was waived over the weekend.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts Cut Stevan Ridley, Others

September 3rd, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Zachary Links

The Colts are cutting running back Stevan Ridley, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). "<strong

Ridley was signed by the Colts just days ago after he was cut by Detroit. The Colts have spoken at length about their plan to preserve Frank Gore‘s legs by lightening his workload and Ridley figured to be a part of that. Alas, the Colts didn’t see enough from Ridley in the last few days to keep him on the 53-man roster.

After spending his first four years in the NFL with the Patriots, Ridley signed with the Jets last season, but didn’t see the field all that much after coming off the PUP list. With Chris Ivory and Bilal Powell handling the majority of the workload out of the backfield, Ridley took over for Zac Stacy as the No. 3 back and earned just 36 carries, totaling only 90 yards for a career-worst 2.5 yards per attempt. His stint with Indianapolis could represent his best opportunity to reestablish himself as a quality back.

Here’s the running list of the Colts’ cuts so far today (links via Mike Wells of ESPN.com unless otherwise specified):

  • RB Stevan Ridley
  • WR Tevaun Smith (Twitter link via Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star)
  • DE Ronald Thompson
  • DL Sterling Bailey (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle)
  • DT Kelcy Quarles (Twitter link via Ian Rapoport of NFL.com)
  • ILB Trevor Bates (link)
  • ILB Nate Irving (via Holder)
  • OLB Earl Okine
  • CB Tay-Glover Wright
  • CB Christopher Milton
  • S Alden Darby
  • S Lee Hightower
  • WR MeKale McKay
  • OG Kitt O’Brien
  • OG Adam Redmond
  • OT Mitchell Van Dyk
  • OT Jeremy Vujnovich

The team has also placed offensive guard Hugh Thornton, cornerback Tevin Mitchel and linebacker Ron Thompson on the injured reserve, according to Holder and Alex Marvez of SiriusXM (Twitter link). The 25-year-old has started 32 of his 37 games through his three seasons in the league.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Colts To Sign 21 Undrafted Free Agents

May 7th, 2016 at 5:45pm CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 5:45pm: The Colts announced one more undrafted free agent addition on Twitter: Purdue cornerback Frankie Williams.

The Colts also announced that they’ve waived tackle Davante Harris, who was signed as an undrafted free agent earlier this week.

MONDAY, 6:16pm: The Colts announced that they have agreed to terms with 21 undrafted free agents. Here’s the complete list of the team’s newest UDFAs:

  • WR Daniel Anthrop (Purdue)
  • DE Sterling Bailey (Georgia)
  • G Isiah Cage (Wisconsin-Eau Claire)
  • CB Daniel Davie (Nebraska)
  • RB Josh Ferguson (Illinois)
  • TE Darion Griswold (Arkansas State)
  • T Davante Harris (Appalachian State)
  • WR Marcus Leak (Maryland)
  • LB Curt Maggitt (Tennessee)
  • S Stefan McClure (California)
  • WR MeKale McKay (Arkansas)
  • TE Mike Miller (Taylor University)
  • CB Christopher Milton (Georgia Tech)
  • G Adam Redmond (Harvard)
  • WR Chester Rogers (Grambling State)
  • LB Anthony Sarao (USC)
  • DE Delvon Simmons (USC)
  • WR Tevaun Smith (Iowa)
  • LB Ronald Thompson (Syracuse)
  • CB Darius White (California)
  • S Andrew Williamson (Vanderbilt)