HEADLINES

Nate Collins

Minor Moves: Monday

April 13th, 2015 at 10:13pm CST by Dallas Robinson

We’ll keep track of today’s minor moves here, with any updates being added to the top of the list:

  • Offensive lineman Eben Britton incurred a four-game suspension, according to The Sports XChange’s Howard Balzer on Twitter. The 27-year-old is a free agent and started 34 games for the Jaguars and Bears the past six seasons, respectively. The reason for Britton’s suspension was not specified.
  • Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall signed his exclusive rights tender today, agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). The 25-year-old Marshall started 13 games for Denver last season, racking up 95 tackles. He’ll be one of the club’s starting inside linebackers when it debuts its new 3-4 front this year.
  • The Colts have placed linebacker Aaron Morgan on the reserve/retired list, tweets Mike Chappell of RTV6. Morgan appeared in 18 games during his five-year career, seeing time with the Jaguars and Buccaneers in addition to Indianapolis.
  • Running back Da’Rel Scott and defensive tackle Nate Collins have both signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Both players participated in the recent veteran combine, adds Caplan (link).
  • Former 49ers receiver Ronald Johnson, a sixth-round pick in 2011, has signed with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts, tweets Caplan.

Workout Notes: Jennings, Clemons, Winston

September 30th, 2014 at 7:42pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that the Titans brought in cornerbacks Derek Cox, Brandon Ghee, and Curtis Marsh for auditions. Here’s a look at the latest workouts from around the NFL..

Bears Cut Adrian Wilson, Eight Others

August 24th, 2014 at 12:28pm CST by Ben Levine

Sunday, 12:28pm: The Bears have also waived OL Joe Long, tweets Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Chicago needs to make six more cuts before 3pm central time on Tuesday.

Saturday, 9:02pm: The Bears have cut ties with veteran safety Adrian Wilson, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Biggs also reports that the team has let go of defensive tackle Nate Collins (Twitter link), offensive lineman Dylan Gandy (Twitter link) and a group of young players:

The Bears signed the 34-year-old Wilson in June with the hope that he’d add a veteran presence to the secondary. The safety missed the entire 2013 season with a foot injury, and Biggs writes that he didn’t move around well enough in camp to justify a role. According to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), Wilson’s last productive season came in 2011 when he made the Pro Bowl with the Cardinals.

Collins, a former undrafted free agent, was beginning to establish himself last season after starting a pair of games. The 26-year-old went down with an ACL injury, and while he’s done an admirable job recovering, Biggs indicates that the team preferred to move forward with draft picks Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton. 

Gandy, a ten-year veteran, had spent the previous five seasons with the Lions, where he served exclusively as a backup. Before that he played for the Raiders, Broncos, and Colts, where he won a Super Bowl in 2007. The 32-year-old has played primarily guard and center throughout his career, and has appeared in at least 15 games since 2009.

NFC Notes: Britt, Panthers, Vick, Collins

March 17th, 2014 at 10:58pm CST by Matt Feminis

At present time, the Panthers are devoid of an NFL receiving corps, having let go their top four receivers from a year ago. Now they’re in a position of desperation, as evidenced by the team’s interest in troubled, albeit talented, free agent Kenny Britt, as reported by Adam Schefter (via Twitter) and Pro Football Talk.

  • Meanwhile, Panthers GM Dave Gettleman is starting to draw criticism over how he’s managed (or botched, according to pundits) the Panthers’ offseason. Both Eric Edholm of Yahoo and David Newton of ESPN put the magnifying glass over Gettleman’s decisions.
  • In February, free agent Michael Vick was hopeful he would be a starting quarterback in 2014. Two weeks into free agency, he has yet to visit a team, let alone land a contract, writes Anwar Richardson of Yahoo Sports.
  • Earlier this month, Bears defensive tackle Nate Collins signed a one-year deal worth $730,001, and the extra dollar is significant, writes Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. Because Collins will make more than the minimum, the Bears will have the opportunity to extend his contract prior to next year’s free agency.

 

Bears Re-Sign Nate Collins, Jordan Palmer

March 9th, 2014 at 9:02pm CST by Ben Levine

The Bears will bring back defensive tackle Nate Collins and quarterback Jordan Palmer, according to the team’s Twitter account. Both players will be returning on one-year deals.

Collins signed a one-year deal last offseason, returning to Chicago after playing with the team in 2012. He played well through his first five games, compiling 14 total tackles. The 26-year-old suffered an ACL tear in week 5, ending his season.

Palmer, brother of Cardinals’ quarterback Carson Palmer, was brought in midway through last season to serve as the backup quarterback to fill-in Josh McCown. Palmer has completed ten passes in his career for 59 yards. He’s also tossed two picks in his four games between 2008 and 2010. With Jay Cutler returning from injury and McCown currently unsigned, keeping Palmer could be interpreted as insurance. As Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times points out, head coach Marc Trestman has said he likes keeping three quarterbacks on the roster (via Twitter).

NFC Notes: Falcons, Packers, Bears

February 24th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Ben Levine

It was revealed yesterday that potential number-one pick Jadeveon Clowney wants to play for the Falcons. While team general manager Thomas Dimitroff brushed off Clowney’s comments, he did reveal his willingness to wheel and deal. Dimitroff spoke to NFL Network’s Kimberly Jones and discussed the Falcons’ draft plans (via D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution):

“I’ve been very clear about this, we will always be open for business,” Dimitroff said. “We will always be open to move up and back, depends on what’s right for us.”

Based on most mock draft, Clowney won’t be around for the Falcons’ pick. Even then, Dimitroff may instead be looking to move down.

“Again, I feel really comfortable with where we are at six,” he said, “but there are opportunities on both sides of six.”

Here are a couple more notes from around the NFC…

NFC Notes: Dimitroff, Shields, Orakpo, Eagles

February 15th, 2014 at 10:14am CST by Matt Feminis

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff was put under the microscope by the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Dawson Devitt, who published the first part of an exhaustive retrospective analysis of the GM’s transaction history 2008-09, including free agency, cuts, trades, extensions and drafts. The verdict? More good than bad.

Other opinions from NFC writers:

  • Packers free agent cornerback Sam Shields‘ arrow is pointing up, according to ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky, who says the 26-year-old is worth $7-8MM per year. Shields has blazing speed to run with outside burners and has improved leaps and bounds with his technique and tackling.
  • With Henry Melton, Jay Ratliff and Nate Collins set to hit free agency, defensive tackle “will have to be a top priority” for the Bears, according to ESPN Chicago’s Michael C. Wright, who believes the team will add interior defenders in the draft, via free agency and still attempt to bring back its own free agents.
  • The Redskins can re-sign both Brian Orakpo and Perry Riley provided both players don’t ask for unreasonable deals, says ESPN Washington’s John Keim.
  • Thanks to second-year head coach Chip Kelly’s familiarity with college players, Dallas Morning News writer Rick Gosselin believes the Eagles are in a window when they have a distinct draft advantage. Gosselin cites past examples of Jimmy Johnson‘s move from the University of Miami to the Cowboys, Jim Harbaugh‘s jump from Stanford to the 49ers and Pete Carroll’s escape from USC to the Seahawks when the coaches drafted players they were familiar with, creating the core of winning NFL teams. Kelly, who recruited nationally for Oregon, “spent four years with the Ducks so he has a four-year window when he’ll know the draft board better than the NFL lifers,” contends Gosselin.