Randy Bullock - Pro Football Rumors

Workout Notes: Saints, Seahawks, Jaguars

October 28th, 2015 at 5:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s workouts from around the NFL..

The Jets worked out defensive end Lawrence Okoye, Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com tweets. Okoye, a former University of Kentucky discus hurler, had previous stops with the 49ers and Cardinals.

Earlier updates:

The Saints tried out John Conner and Henry Hynoski, a league source tells Mike Florio of PFT. New Orleans already has a fullback on the roster in Austin Johnson, but he was a surprise scratch on Sunday and he may have fallen out of favor with coaches. Conner, nicknamed the Terminator, was a favorite of Rex Ryan while with the Jets. Conner followed Ryan to Buffalo in 2015, but he was let go before the start of the season. Hynoski, a four-year veteran, spent his full career with the Giants and appeared in every game last year.
The Seahawks had ten players in for tryouts on Monday, including running back Isaiah Pead and defensive end Lawrence Okoye, a source tells Florio. Linebacker John Lotulelei, tackle Jesse Davis, guard Taylor Boggs, defensive end Keith Browner, guard Kadeem Edwards, defensive end Efe Obada, and defensive end DeAngelo Tyson were also showing their stuff for Seattle.
The Jaguars brought in kickers Zach Hocker and Randy Bullock for a workout on Wednesday, but Josh Scobee was not among those in attendance, according to Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
In addition to their previously reported look at Jeff Demps, the Jets tried out running back Akeem Hunt on Tuesday, a league source tells Florio. Wide receiver Larry Pinkard also got a look from Gang Green. Chris Ivory is dealing with tightness in his quad, so the Jets might opt to add a running back if he needs to sit out for a while.
The Browns recently worked out cornerbacks Bill Bentley, Chase Casey, Al Louis-Jean, and Robert Steeples, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets.
The Cardinals worked out Emmanuel Acho, James Anderson and Ja’Gared Davis, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
The Falcons worked out Mike Gillislee and Devin Wylie, Wilson tweets.
The Panthers worked out Andrew Miller, Wilson tweets.
The Jets worked out wide receiver Larry Pinkard, Wilson tweets.
The Steelers worked out Dwight Bentley and Montell Garner, Wilson tweets.
The Raiders worked out Dyshawn Davis, Wilson tweets.
The Saints worked out Jeff Luc, Patrick Scales, Jason Williams, and Christian Yount, Wilson tweets.
The Packers worked out Justin Anderson, Curtis Grant, and Ronald Powell, Wilson tweets.
The Colts worked out Sean Baker, Matt Daniels, outside linebacker Mike McAdoo, and Dreamius Smith, Wilson tweets.

Saints To Cut Zach Hocker, Sign Kai Forbath

October 19th, 2015 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

10:57am: The Saints will be signing Forbath to replace Hocker, according to Mike Garafolo of Fox Sports (Twitter link).

Forbath, 28, made 94.4% of his field goals (17 of 18) in his first season with Washington back in 2012, and while he never matched that accuracy mark in subsequent years, his career percentage remains a solid 87.0%.

Forbath was cut after Week 1 this season by Washington, but has worked out for several teams since then. He was said to be the second choice for both the Eagles, who signed Caleb Sturgis, and the Texans, who signed Nick Novak, so it seemed like it would just be a matter of time before he found a new home.

10:51am: The Saints are cutting ties with Zach Hocker, and will seemingly have a new kicker in place for their next game, according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). Because he’s a rookie, Hocker will have to clear waivers before he officially becomes a free agent.

Hocker, a seventh-round pick in the 2014 draft, earned his first starting job this year in New Orleans. However, he was a little shaky during his first six games as the team’s kicker. Hocker missed four of his 13 field goal tries, including three from less than 50 yards, and failed to convert one of his extra-point attempts as well. The 24-year-old’s two field goal misses during last Thursday’s win over the Falcons appear to have sealed his fate.

Earlier this month, New Orleans auditioned a handful of free agent kickers, though the team elected to stick with Hocker at that point. Randy Bullock, Kai Forbath, and Kyle Brindza all got looks from the Saints at that time, and all three remain free agents, so I’d expect them to be among the first players considered by the club now that Hocker is no longer in the mix.

NFC Notes: Saints, 49ers, Barth, Eagles

October 8th, 2015 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Saints won’t displace Zach Hocker right now, even after auditioning several kickers, as Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets. Hocker missed a potential game-winning field goal on Sunday night against the Cowboys before New Orleans won in overtime, and missed a field goal and an extra point in the team’s Week 2 loss to Tampa Bay. However, he’ll get at least one more opportunity to hang onto the job going forward.

In yesterday’s workout for the Saints, Randy Bullock hit all of his field goal attempts, while Kai Forbath missed a 53-yarder but made up for it with a 55-yard make, per Garafolo. Kyle Brindza, recently released by the Bucs, also got a look from the Saints, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Head coach Jim Tomsula disputed the notion that the 49ers added inside linebacker Gerald Hodges because they’re unhappy with the way starter Michael Wilhoite has played. “There’s nothing there,” Tomsula said, according to Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee. Tomsula went on to explain that the 49ers have liked Hodges since he came out in the 2013 draft. On Tuesday, San Francisco sent center Nick Easton and a sixth-round draft choice to the Vikings for Hodges.
Buccaneers kicker Connor Barth is happy to return to Tampa Bay, telling Fred Goodall of The Associated Press that the winding road he took back to the Bucs isn’t unusual for someone who plays his position. “You’ve got to look at as a business, and you’re kind of a consultant,” Barth said. “There are 32 jobs. It’s just a blessing to play and be one of 32 guys.” Barth was the club’s full-time kicker from 2009 to 2012.
According to Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, Drew Brees was a key point of reference when Philadelphia decided this offseason to acquire Sam Bradford, an oft-injured quarterback with significant potential. Brees had been considered an injury risk due to a shoulder issue when the Saints first acquired him. Zach Berman of the Philadelphia Inquirer has the details on Kelly’s Bradford/Brees comparison, along with the quotes from the head coach.
After signing a five-year deal worth nearly $39MM in the offseason, Bears pass rusher Pernell McPhee is off to a hot start, and joked that he wants J.J. Watt money now, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com writes.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

NFC Notes: Roberts, Saints, Ebron, 49ers

October 7th, 2015 at 11:36am CST by Luke Adams

Responding to a suggestion from Peter King of TheMMQB.com that Washington wide receiver Andre Roberts could be a logical trade target for the Ravens, Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes that such a deal wouldn’t make much financial sense for Baltimore — or, presumably, any other team. Roberts is guaranteed a $2.75MM salary in 2015, the second season of a four-year contract, which is a significant amount of money for a player who has been banged up and unable to earn much playing time lately. That means Roberts is probably sticking in D.C. for now.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

Kai Forbath‘s workout tour continues in New Orleans, according to Mike Triplett of ESPN.com, who reports (via Twitter) that Forbath and Randy Bullock will be among the kickers auditioned by the Saints. Forbath has tried out for several teams in recent weeks, and was said to be the runner-up for clubs like the Texans and Eagles.
Lions tight end Eric Ebron tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson (all Twitter links) that it could take up to three weeks for him to recover from the knee injury he sustained on Monday night, but he’s relieved that it won’t require surgery.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn hasn’t spoken to Roddy White yet about the receiver’s desire for more touches and a bigger role in the offense, but stressed that White is an important part of the team moving forward, says Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com.
Coming off a 17-3 loss, the 49ers trading an offensive player for a defensive player – as the team did yesterday – might not make much sense on the surface, but Kevin Lynch of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks it was a good move.

Barth Among Kickers Working Out For Bucs

October 5th, 2015 at 2:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Just over a month after they released him, the Buccaneers will be working out Connor Barth this week as they search for a new kicker, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Barth, who lost the starting job to Kyle Brindza prior to the season, will be one of a handful of veteran kickers trying out for Tampa Bay.

Along with Barth, Randy Bullock, Kai Forbath, and Billy Cundiff will also be auditioning for the Buccaneers, says Garafolo.

Bullock recent lost the job in Houston, missing a 43-yard field goal and a pair of extra points through the Texans’ first three games. Forbath nearly replaced Bullock in Houston, having been the team’s second choice, as he was in Philadelphia when he auditioned for the Eagles. Cundiff was also part of that tryout with the Eagles, but hasn’t seen regular season action since he was with the Browns last season.

The most interesting name of the bunch is Barth, however — Brindza beat him out for the Bucs’ kicking job this season, but the rookie missed seven kicks (five field goals and two extra points) in Tampa Bay’s last two games, forcing the team to make a change. The veteran Barth was the Bucs’ kicker from 2009 to 2012, and looked poised to regain the job this year before Brindza surpassed him in the preseason.

The Bucs figure to decide on a new kicker and get him locked up within the next couple days.

Workout Notes: Bullock, Sims, Drew

October 2nd, 2015 at 9:12pm CST by Rob DiRe

Through three weeks of the season, teams are re-evaluating their rosters due to injuries and performance, and are always tinkering with the back end of their roster and practice squads.

Here are a few players who are being called in for workouts with a chance to make a roster:

We already heard the Steelers will be working out Kai Forbath and Chris Boswell on Saturday in the wake of Josh Scobee‘s rough Thursday night. They are also bringing in former Texans kicker Randy Bullock, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter).
Undrafted free agent quarterback Philip Sims, who spent time with the Cardinals earlier this season, has a workout scheduled with the Packers on Tuesday, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter).
Former Georgia defensive end Ray Drew worked out for the Browns earlier today, writes Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer (via Twitter). She adds the team could sign him to the practice squad next week.

Texans To Sign Nick Novak, Cut Randy Bullock

September 29th, 2015 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The Texans are the latest NFL team to make a change at the kicker position, having decided to part ways with Randy Bullock, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link). Berman reports that the Texans are signing former Chargers kicker Nick Novak to replace Bullock.

Bullock, 25, has been the Texans’ kicker since the 2013 season, making 74.3% of his field goals in his rookie year before bumping up that mark to 85.7% in 2014. However, he had been inconsistent through three weeks this season, missing a 43-yard field goal and a pair of extra points.

Novak, meanwhile, had been the Chargers’ full-time kicker from 2011 to 2014, making 101 of his 117 field goal attempts (86.3%) during his time in San Diego, including 11 of 17 from 50+ yards. However, the 34-year-old was beaten out in camp this year by the younger, cheaper Josh Lambo, and was released by the Chargers earlier this month.

Novak beat out Connor Barth, Kai Forbath, Chris Boswell, and Giorgio Tavecchio – who all auditioned this week for the Texans as well – for Houston’s kicking job. As for Bullock, he’ll have to pass through waivers before he reaches free agency.