Nate Irving - Pro Football Rumors

Chiefs Work Out Laurinaitis, Brinkley, Irving

December 13th, 2016 at 10:01am CST by Zachary Links

The Chiefs worked out a host of linebackers on Monday, including a handful of notables. James Laurinaitis, Nate Irving, Jasper Brinkley, Jayson DiManche, Nick Moody, and Miles Burris all showed their stuff for Kansas City (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN.com). KC could look to sign a linebacker with Derrick Johnson out for the season.

Laurinaitis inked a three-year, $8.5MM deal with the Saints in the offseason. Expected to provide veteran leadership for New Orleans, Laurinaitis suffered a setback when he went down with a quad injury. He insisted that he was healthy enough to return from IR, but that possibility went out the window when rookie Sheldon Rankins was activated. Last month, the Saints agreed to release Laurinaitis after having paid him roughly $2MM for his six games and 17 tackles.

Irving was speculatively connected to the Colts after D’Qwell Jackson‘s four-game suspension, but Indianapolis wasn’t interested in a reunion. The 28-year-old was dropped by the Colts at final cutdowns despite being in the midst of a multi-year deal. Injuries limited him to eight games (two starts) last year with just eleven tackles. Prior to joining Indianapolis, Irving spent four years with the Broncos, but wasn’t a starter until his final season in Denver.

We haven’t heard much about Brinkley since October when he auditioned for the Patriots. The 31-year-old had 67 tackles and one sack for the Giants last year and he has been exceptionally durable throughout his career. Still, he has been unable to find work so far in 2016.

AFC Notes: Colts, Jets, Patriots, Bills

December 9th, 2016 at 3:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Although the Colts are now thin at linebacker following D’Qwell Jackson‘s four-game suspension, Indianapolis is unlikely to forge a reunion with free agent Nate Irving, according to Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star (Twitter link). Irving, whom Indy released in September, worked out for the Colts in last month, but is still looking for a contract. Instead, Indianapolis is likely to hand reserve ‘backer Edwin Jackson more playing time.

Here’s more from the AFC:

Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, who says he goes year-to-year, says he’d like to be back next year (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPN.com). However, he hasn’t talked to head coach Todd Bowles about his future. The Jets have one of the lowest-ranked passing games in the NFL this season and they’re reportedly going to dismiss some of the staff assistants this offseason.
Although the Patriots ended up signing Griff Whalen, they worked out wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com tweets. Wide receiver Kevin Smith also auditioned (Twitter link via Doug Kyed of NESN).
Bills GM Doug Whaley says he does not want to see rookie quarterback Cardale Jones to play at any point this season (Twitter link via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com). “That would mean something terrible happened,” the GM said. The 6-6 Bills have had issues in the passing game, but they apparently won’t turn things over to Jones over the final month. Whaley raised some eyebrows today when he declined to commit to Tyrod Taylor for next season.

Sam Robinson and Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFL Workout Updates: 11/1/16

November 1st, 2016 at 8:38pm CST by Ben Levine

Tuesday is workout day in the NFL, and today was no different. Due to the sheer volume of today’s auditions, we’ll split up the reports by conference:

AFC

The Dolphins worked out players on both sides of the ball. ESPN’s Adam Caplan tweets that the team auditioned running back Jonas Gray and defensive end Martin Ifedi.
Besides signing Bishop Sankey, the Chiefs also worked out running backs Trent Richardson and Vick Ballard, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today (via Twitter). Caplan tweets that the team also worked out defensive end Rakim Cox and wideout Marcus Johnson.
The Colts worked out a trio of defenders today, according to Caplan (via Twitter): defensive tackle Jordan Hill, inside linebacker Nate Irving, and linebacker Danny Lansanah.
Three offensive tackles worked out for the Jets, according to Caplan (on Twitter): Rob Crisp, Pierce Burton, and Jesse Davis.
The Titans auditioned three wideouts and two guards, according to Caplan (on Twitter). Receivers Jeremy Ross, Dres Anderson, and Jonathan Krause were in for workouts, as were offensive guards Dallas Thomas and Josh LeRibeus.

NFC

The Bears worked out a pair of defensive backs, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter): Rashaad Reynolds and Ryan White. The team also worked out former Patriots offensive lineman Bryan Stork, as well as running back Daniel Davie.
Caplan reports (via Twitter) that the Lions hosted a number of players this afternoon: tight end Matthew Mulligan, linebackers Ben Jacobs and Trevor Bates, and cornerbacks Crezdon Butler and Jeremiah McKinnon.
Three cornerbacks worked out for the Packers, according to Caplan (on Twitter): Duke Thomas, Cleveland Wallace, and Larry Scott.
Before adding Vinnie Sunseri to the practice squad, the 49ers took a look at former Saints defensive back Marcus Ball (via Nick Underhill on Twitter). Caplan adds that the team also auditioned defensive tackle Lars Koht and defensive end Mike Rose.
The Seahawks worked out cornerback Pierre Desir, reports Caplan (via Twitter).

Jets Work Out Nate Irving

October 25th, 2016 at 9:27pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets auditioned a pair of linebackers today, according to Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who reports New York took a look at Nate Irving and Taiwan Jones.

Gang Green recently lost Erin Henderson for at least eight games, as the veteran ‘backer was placed on the NFI list. Additionally, rookie-first rounder Darron Lee missed Sunday’s game ankle injury, while David Harris is dealing with a nagging hamstring injury. Lorenzo Mauldin, Bruce Carter, Julian Stanford, and Mike Catapano all saw increased snaps against the Ravens in Week 7.

Irving, 28, was released by the Colts at final cutdowns despite being in the midst of a multi-year contract. Injuries limited him to eight games (two starts) in 2015, and Irving managed only 11 tackles. Prior to joining Indianapolis, Irving spent four years with the Broncos, but wasn’t a starter until his final season in Denver.

Jones, not to be confused with the running back of the same name, was cut by the Jets prior to the season’s start.

Cardinals Sign LS Aaron Brewer

September 27th, 2016 at 7:37pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Cardinals have signed veteran long snapper Aaron Brewer, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Rookie snapper Kameron Canaday struggled during the first three games of the season, and was waived earlier today. Brewer, 26, is a four-year NFL veteran, having spent the past several seasons with the Broncos.

Brewer was just one of several specialists that Arizona worked out today. Fellow long snapper Tyler Ott was also on hand, as were punters Michael Palardy, Ryan Quigley, and Tim Masthay, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The Cardinals will need a new punter for at least a few games, as incumbent Drew Butler will be sidelined for awhile with an ankle/Achilles injury.

Arizona completed a busy day by auditioning a trifecta of linebackers, as they took a look at Nate Irving, James-Michael Johnson, and Joplo Bartu, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Irving, 28, has 62 career appearances to his name, but was released by the Colts at final cutdowns despite being in the midst of a multi-year contract.

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).

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 Place Nate Irving On IR

December 8th, 2015 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Colts have confirmed the previously-reported promotion of tight end Amarlo Herrera to the 53-man roster, and that move is just one a handful of transactions completed by the team today. According to a press release, the club has also signed free agent cornerback Jalil Brown, placing linebacker Nate Irving on injured reserve and cutting cornerback Josh Thomas to create the necessary space on the roster.

Irving, 27, is perhaps the most notable player included in this series of moves, though he hadn’t carved out a significant role for the Colts this season. After starting eight games and recording 46 tackles for the Broncos in 2014, Irving started just twice for Indianapolis this season, compiling 13 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble. The former third-round pick inked a three-year contract with the Colts, but the team could create $2.25MM in cap savings by releasing him this offseason, which looks like a possibility.

Brown, meanwhile, has been off and on the Colts’ roster over the last couple seasons, having started three games for the team earlier this year. He takes the roster spot vacated by the little-used Thomas, who was inactive during his last game with Indianapolis.

Contract Details: Clay, Cromartie, Webb, Britt

March 24th, 2015 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are some specific details on a number of contracts agreed to and/or signed recently. One-year minimum salary benefit deals aren’t included.

AFC deals:

Charles Clay, TE (Bills): Five years, $38MM base value. $24.5MM fully guaranteed. $10MM signing bonus. $10MM roster bonus in 2016. No-trade clause for first three years (three Twitter links via Mike Rodak of ESPN.com and Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun).
Antonio Cromartie, CB (Jets): Four years, $32MM base value. $7MM guaranteed. $2MM roster bonus. No signing bonus (link via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
Lardarius Webb, CB (Ravens): Restructured contract. Three years, $18MM base value. $5.25MM guaranteed. $3MM roster bonus in 2015 (link via Wilson).
Nate Irving, LB (Colts): Three years, $7.25MM base value. $1.5MM guaranteed. $750K signing bonus. Escalators in 2016, 2017 (Twitter link via Wilson).
Karl Klug, DL (Titans): Two years, $3.75MM base value. $1MM signing bonus. $200K roster bonus in 2016. Up to $625K in annual incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
James Harrison, OLB (Steelers): Two years, $2.75MM base value. $500K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Byron Stingily, T (Titans): Two years, $2.5MM base value. $250K signing bonus. $800K playing-time escalator (Twitter link via Wilson).
Louis Delmas, S (Dolphins): One year, $2.25MM base value. Up to $1.25MM in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
Mitch Unrein, DT (Chargers): Two years, $1.9MM base value. $250K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).

NFC deals:

Kenny Britt, WR (Rams): Two years, $9.15MM base value. $4.05MM guaranteed. $1.5MM roster bonus in 2015. Potential void in 2016 based on 2015 escalator (link via Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch).
Jacob Tamme, TE (Falcons): Two years, $3.2MM base value. $400K signing bonus. $250K roster bonus in 2016. $1MM escalator based on performance, playing time (Twitter links via Wilson).
Clint Gresham, LS (Seahawks): Three years, $2.705MM base value. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Wilson).
Ahtyba Rubin, DL (Seahawks): One year, $2.5MM base value. $1MM signing bonus. Up to $500K in playing-time incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).
Kenrick Ellis, DT (Giants): One year, $1.475MM base value. $500K guaranteed. $300K signing bonus (Twitter link via Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com).
George Selvie, DE (Giants): One year, $1.2MM base value. $200K signing bonus. Up to $200K in incentives (Twitter link via Wilson).

Nate Irving, Colts Agree To Terms

March 20th, 2015 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

10:51am: Irving’s three-year deal can be worth up to $9.25MM, a source tells Anderson (Twitter link).

10:37am: The Colts have agreed to terms with free agent linebacker Nate Irving, the team announced today in a press release. The former Bronco recently visited Indianapolis, and was said to be weighing his options earlier this week.

Irving, who turns 27 this summer, has spent the first four seasons of his career with the Broncos, since being drafted 67th overall by Denver in 2011. The North Carolina State product was playing as a full-time starter for the first time in 2014, but had his season cut short in November when he suffered a knee injury. Prior to landing on IR, Irving compiled 46 tackles and a sack.

Having played middle linebacker for the Broncos last season, Irving seems likely to play on the inside for the Colts, meaning he’ll join a group that currently includes D’Qwell Jackson and Jerrell Freeman. Freeman is technically still an unsigned free agent, but he received a second-round RFA tender from the Colts, so he’s unlikely to go anywhere.

According to Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (via Twitter), it’s expected to be a three-year deal for Irving in Indianapolis. The linebacker also reportedly drew interest from the Dolphins and Cardinals.

FA Notes: Clay, Canty, Spencer, Irving, Moore

March 16th, 2015 at 10:31pm CST by Dallas Robinson

There hasn’t been much movement on the Charles Clay front lately, but the Bills are still steadfast in their hopes of signing him to an unmatchable offer sheet, a source tells Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. Buffalo appears confident in landing the Dolphins transition player, as the source tells Carucci that it’s a 90% certainty that the Bills will acquire the tight end.

Rex Ryan is reportedly pushing for Clay, as the Bills head coach knows how difficult Clay is to defend from the former’s time with the Jets. Per Carucci, Buffalo is currently going over both their cap numbers and those of the Dolphins, in an attempt to structure a contract that Miami can’t match.

Let’s take a look at the what’s happening on the rest of the free agent market:

Defensive lineman Chris Canty will visit the Seahawks tomorrow, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link). The 32-year-old was released by the Ravens last month, and while a reunion with Baltimore is possible, he’s also met with the Jets as he explores his options.
Canty isn’t the only defender who will take a meeting with Seattle, as LB/DE Anthony Spencer will also visit the Seahawks, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Seattle had success in bringing in veteran defensive lineman Kevin Williams last season, so perhaps they’re trying to find another diamond-in-the-rough between Canty and Spencer.
While his visit with the Colts today went well, linebacker Nate Irving is still weighing all his options, tweets Josina Anderson of ESPN. The former Bronco has also been linked to the Dolphins and the Cardinals.
After asking a source whether receiver Denarius Moore could return to the Raiders, Bill Williamson of ESPN.com (via Twitter) got a clear response: “Not a chance.” The 26-year-old hasn’t drawn any known interest during the free agent period.
Although we heard on Thursday that the Bears were discussing a multi-year deal with linebacker Mason Foster, no such pact is imminent, per Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com (Twitter link), who adds that nothing is close between the two sides.