HEADLINES

Randall Telfer

Former Browns TE Randall Telfer Retires

August 24th, 2018 at 5:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Randall Telfer is calling it a career. On Friday, the free agent tight end announced his retirement via Twitter.

Telfer, 26, was a sixth-round pick of the Browns in 2015. After losing his would-be rookie season to injury, he appeared in 30 games for the Browns over the next two years, but recorded only 40 yards in total.

Telfer may be best known to PFR readers for the 2018 offseason trade that should have sent him from Cleveland to Kansas City. Unfortunately, Telfer failed his physical with the Chiefs, meaning that linebacker Dadi Nicolas was never shipped to the Browns (In case you were wondering, Nicolas is now pushing to make the Redskins’ final cut.)

Colts Sign DE Chris McCain

May 8th, 2018 at 5:33pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Colts have signed former Chargers edge rusher Chris McCain and and waived tight end Randall Telfer with a failed physical designation, the club announced today.

McCain, 26, spent the past four years with the Dolphins, Saints, and Chargers after entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014, but has never started a game. Indeed, the ex-Cal Bear’s playing time on the defensive side of the ball has been extremely limited: McCain’s 25% snap percentage in 2017 was by far the highest of his career, as he’d never before topped 8% playtime on defense. McCain managed five sacks in a backup role, and also saw action on roughly a quarter of Los Angeles’ special teams snaps.

McCain, notably, seemed to thrive in the Chargers’ 4-3 scheme, and he’ll now be moving to an Indianapolis roster that is moving to a 4-3 look for the 2017 campaign. Although he’ll have his work cut out for him as he attempts to get snaps behind Jabaal Sheard, Denico Autry, Tyquan Lewis, and Tarell Basham, McCain could find his way into a regular role if injuries or ineffectiveness strike.

Telfer, meanwhile, had just been claimed off waivers on Monday. He’d originally been part of a trade that would have sent him from the Browns to the Chiefs, but that deal was called off, likely for the same health issue that is now causing him to lose his Colts roster spot.

Colts Claim TE Randall Telfer

May 7th, 2018 at 3:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Browns tight end Randall Telfer, was claimed off waivers by the Colts, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Telfer, as you may recall, was initially ticketed to be traded to the Chiefs for linebacker Dadi Nicolas before that deal was nullified.

Telfer was squeezed out of Cleveland due to the presence of holdovers David Njoku and Seth DeValve plus free agent addition Darren Fells. Telfer is a blocking specialist, but Fells offers a longer resume of acumen in that area. Telfer is largely untested as a pass catcher, having caught just three passes for 36 yards last year despite starting in 14 games.

The Colts have Eric Ebron and Jack Doyle as their top tight ends, but they’ll evaluate a number of options in reserve. Telfer joins Darrell Daniels, Ross Travis, Erik Swoope, and Jason Vander-Lean as reserve TEs on the 90-man roster.

Chiefs, Browns Cancel Trade

May 4th, 2018 at 3:47pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dadi Nicolas/Randall Telfer trade won’t be happening after all. The deal has been nullified and both players have been waived by their original teams, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. 

On Tuesday, the Browns agreed to send Telfer, a tight end, to the Chiefs for Nicolas, a linebacker. It’s not immediately clear why the trade has been cancelled. Failed physicals are often the culprit for cancelled deals and Nicolas, who missed all of January with a ruptured patellar tendon, may not have passed his exam.

The Browns are well set at tight end with holdovers David Njoku, Seth DeValve, and free agent addition Darren Fells, so they are able to move on from Telfer without getting anything in return.

 

Browns Trade TE Randall Telfer To Chiefs For LB Dadi Nicolas

May 2nd, 2018 at 1:45pm CST by Zachary Links

The Browns are trading tight end Randall Telfer to the Chiefs for linebacker Dadi Nicolas, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. The Browns were said to be shopping Telfer in recent days. 

The Browns are well set at tight end with holdovers David Njoku, Seth DeValve, and free agent addition Darren Fells, so Telfer became expendable this offseason. The 2016 sixth-round pick started in 14 games for the Browns last season, but he caught just three passes for 36 yards and finished a distant third amongst Cleveland TEs in catches. The new regime didn’t see a place on the roster for Telfer, which is understandable since he is a blocking specialist and Fells is viewed as a better one.

Nicolas, 26 in September, appeared in eleven games for the Chiefs in 2016. Unfortunately, a ruptured patellar tendon suffered in January of last year cost him his entire 2017 season.

Browns Shopping TE Randall Telfer

April 26th, 2018 at 11:25am CST by Sam Robinson

Already reportedly inquiring about a possible Jamar Taylor trade, the Browns are also shopping one of their young tight ends.

Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports the team is offering fourth-year tight end Randall Telfer to teams. A 2016 sixth-round pick, Telfer started 14 games for the Browns last season. However, he was a distant third among Cleveland’s tight end contingent in receptions, hauling in just three passes for 36 yards — numbers that came in well below David Njoku and Seth DeValve’s from 2017.

The Browns used Telfer on 300 offensive plays last season. The Browns acquired Telfer, a USC alum, during the Ray Farmer years. Now that they’re two regimes removed from their former GM, it would make sense John Dorsey is looking to bring in one of his own players at the position.

Cleveland reached an agreement with free agent Darren Fells this offseason, so Telfer’s place on the roster could be tenuous with both Njoku and DeValve expected to be in the 2018 mix as well.

PUP, NFI Players Soon Eligible To Practice

October 19th, 2015 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Week 6 of the NFL season will come to an end after Monday night’s game between the Giants and Eagles, and when teams begin preparing for Week 7, many clubs could be welcoming injured players back to practice. Six weeks into the NFL season, players who were placed on the physically unable to perform list or the non-football injury list prior to Week 1’s games will be eligible to return to the practice field.

Of course, just because those players are able to return to practice doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be healthy enough to do so. Players on the PUP list have a five-week window to begin practicing. Once they return to practice, they have three weeks to be added to their respective teams’ active rosters. In other words, a player currently on the PUP list could return to the field for his team’s Week 7 game, or could return as late as for his team’s Week 15 contest.

The rules for NFI players are similar to those for PUP players. If a player on either reserve list doesn’t return to practice or game action in time, his 2015 season will officially be over.

Here are the players currently on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list who can begin practicing as soon as this Tuesday:

And here are the players currently on their teams’ non-football injury or illness lists, who are also eligible to begin practicing this Tuesday:

  • Arizona Cardinals: WR Damond Powell
  • Buffalo Bills: CB Leodis McKelvin
  • Cincinnati Bengals: T Cedric Ogbuehi
  • Cleveland Browns: DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, TE Randall Telfer, RB Glenn Winston
  • Dallas Cowboys: LB Mark Nzeocha
  • Houston Texans: T David Quessenberry
  • Kansas City Chiefs: QB Tyler Bray
  • San Francisco 49ers: WR DeAndre Smelter
  • Seattle Seahawks: DT Jesse Williams

In addition to monitoring players on the PUP and NFI lists, it’s worth keeping an eye on players who have been placed on the injured reserve list with the designation to return. Teams can use this IR-DTR spot on one player per season, placing him on the injured reserve list without necessarily ruling him out for the season. As we explained in an earlier post, players given this designation can begin practicing after six weeks and can return after eight weeks.

That means that a player who was placed on IR-DTR prior to Week 1 can begin practicing on Tuesday, though he won’t be eligible to return to game action until Week 9. A player who was placed on IR-DTR after Week 1 will have to wait until next Tuesday – October 27 – to return to practice, while other IR-DTR players will have to wait until November to practice.

Here’s the list of players currently on IR-DTR who can begin practicing as soon as Tuesday:

Browns Cut Ishmaa’ily Kitchen, Put Shaw On IR

September 1st, 2015 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have announced several more roster moves today, but perhaps the most notable transaction of the bunch has yet to be confirmed by the team. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Twitter), the club has waived defensive lineman Ishmaa’ily Kitchen.

Kitchen, who turns 27 next month, earned 279 defensive snaps for the Browns in 2014, making 27 tackles. While his play in the middle was unspectacular, the Kent State product was solid enough in his three years in Cleveland that the team felt comfortable tendering him a one-year contract offer worth $1.542MM when he hit restricted free agency. However, that contract was non-guaranteed.

Here are the rest of the Browns roster moves, which the team officially announced in a press release:

Placed on injured reserve:

  • OL Michael Bowie
  • QB Connor Shaw

Placed on reserve/non-football injury list:

  • DB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu
  • TE Randall Telfer
  • RB Glenn Winston

The players who landed on IR won’t return for the Browns this year, while the NFI players will be eligible to practice and play starting after Week 6. The club’s announcement indicates that the roster is now down to 79 players, though that number will dip to 78 when Kitchen’s release becomes official. After that, Cleveland will have to make three more moves to get down to the 75-man roster limit.

Draft Pick Signings: Thursday

May 7th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the course of the next few weeks, as the league’s 32 teams lock up their draft picks, we’ll dedicate individual posts to first- and second-round picks reaching agreements with their respective clubs. Already today, for instance, we’ve passed along word of Trae Waynes signing with the Vikings and Nelson Agholor reaching a deal with the Eagles.

However, given the lack of drama involved in rookie contract negotiations under the new CBA, news on players who were selected in the third round or later will be relegated to round-up posts. Here are Thursday’s mid- to late-round picks who signed their deals, with any additional updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

4:52pm:

  • In addition to confirming the signing of Deon Simon (noted below), the Jets also announced the signings of third-round outside linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin and fourth-round quarterback Bryce Petty, per a team release.
  • The Vikings are gradually agreeing to terms with nearly their entire draft class over the course of the day. Chris Tomasson (Twitter links) has updates on two more, reporting that fifth-round tight end MyCole Pruitt, fifth-round wideout Stefon Diggs, and seventh-round offensive lineman Austin Shepherd have all reached deals with the club.
  • The Ravens have signed fifth-round guard Robert Myers and sixth-round wide receiver Darren Waller, per Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter links).
  • The Seahawks have signed fifth-round cornerback Tye Smith, tweets Terry Blount of ESPN.com.

3:50pm:

  • The Vikings have officially added three more draftees to the roster, agreeing to terms with sixth-round defensive lineman B.J. Dubose and seventh-round linebacker Edmond Robinson, according to reports from Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune and Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links). In addition to those late-rounders, fourth-round offensive lineman T.J. Clemmings has signed his deal, tweets agent Mike McCartney.
  • Sixth-round lineman Kristjan Sokoli has signed his four-year rookie deal with the Seahawks, tweets agent Brett Tessler. A defensive lineman at Buffalo, Sokoli will be moving over to the offensive line in Seattle.
  • Jets seventh-round defensive tackle Deon Simon and Patriots seventh-round defensive end Xzavier Dickson have signed their rookie deals, according to tweets from their respective agencies. Simon will get a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $73K, while Dickson’s bonus will be worth about $53K.

2:43pm:

  • Sixth-round offensive lineman Tyrus Thompson has agreed to terms with the Vikings and will officially sign when he arrives at the team’s facility, tweets Darren Wolfson of KSTP. Thompson is the second Vikes draftee to reach a deal with the club.
  • Another Packers draftee has agreed to terms with the team, per Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Post-Gazette, who tweets that the club has struck a deal with sixth-rounder fullback Aaron Ripkowski. Ripkowski was the first of three players selected by the Packers in the sixth round, and is also the first one to reach an agreement with the team.
  • The Browns have signed sixth-round tight end Randall Telfer, tweets Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Telfer will receive a signing bonus of just under $118K.

1:48pm:

  • The Packers have agreed to terms on four-year rookie contracts with fifth-round quarterback Brett Hundley and fourth-round linebacker Jake Ryan, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links). Green Bay is expected to lock up most or all of the rest of its late-round picks by the end of the day, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
  • The Ravens have agreed to contract terms with fourth-round defensive back Tray Walker, reports Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (Twitter link). The final player selected in the fourth round, as a supplemental pick, Walker will count for about $521K against the cap in 2015.
  • Seventh-round center Austin Reiter has agreed to terms on his rookie contract with Washington, tweets John Keim of ESPN.com. Reiter will receive a signing bonus worth just under $75K.

Draft Visits: Titans, Jags, Steelers, 49ers

April 8th, 2015 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Having hosted receiver Kevin White for a visit already, the Titans are scheduled to meet with Alabama wideout Amari Cooper next week, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter). While the two players are considered the top two prospects at their position, it would still be a surprise to see either player go as high as No. 2 to Tennessee, so perhaps the team is doing due diligence in case it trades down. Of course, I’d argue that the Titans have multiple positions that are bigger holes than wide receiver, but there’s no harm in exploring every potential option.

Here are more updates on upcoming draft visits, as well as some that have already happened:

  • Another top-five team keeping its options open is Jacksonville, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who reports (via Twitter) that the Jaguars have hosted Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon and Georgia’s Todd Gurley for pre-draft visits. Third overall is almost certainly too high to draft a running back, so the Jags could be doing their homework in case they make a draft-day trade.
  • Rapoport also passes along an update on wide receiver DeVante Parker, tweeting that the former Louisville Cardinal has visits with the Jets, Titans, and Bears on his schedule. Parker has also visited the Jaguars and is meeting with the Vikings today.
  • Virginia edge rusher Eli Harold, Ole Miss cornerback Senquez Golson, Utah defensive end Nate Orchard, and Auburn tight end C.J. Uzomah all visited the Steelers today, tweets Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
  • Speaking of Harold, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the Virginia product has visited or worked out for 14 teams, including the Bears, Jaguars, Saints, and Jets.
  • The 49ers and Steelers will host Auburn receiver Sammie Coates for visits next week, sources tell Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post. Coates has also visited the Browns and, as previously reported, the Dolphins.
  • Per Wilson (via Twitter), USC tight end Randall Telfer has visited the Eagles, will visit the Patriots, and has a private meeting lined up with the Falcons.
  • Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee reports (via Twitter) that that Sacramento State wide receiver DeAndre Carter worked out for the Cardinals this week, and will attend local pro days for the Raiders and 49ers next week.