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Reggie Wayne

Patriots Sign Reggie Wayne

August 25th, 2015 at 11:38am CST by Luke Adams

11:38am: According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Wayne’s one-year deal can be worth up to about $3MM with incentives, and the veteran wideout gets nearly $500K up front.

TUESDAY, 11:21am: The Patriots have officially signed Wayne, the team announced today in a press release.

MONDAY, 12:12pm: Following a weekend visit to New England, veteran wideout Reggie Wayne has agreed to a one-year contract with the Patriots, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). A report earlier this morning had indicated the Packers would inquire on Wayne if they confirm Jordy Nelson‘s ACL is torn, but the Pats beat them to the punch, locking up the free agent receiver for the 2015 season.Reggie Wayne

Wayne, who spent 14 years in Indianapolis after being drafted by the Colts in the first round way back in 2001, is no longer the sort of impact player he was during his prime. However, he was still a reliable target for Andrew Luck last season, compiling 779 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 64 catches. A report last month suggested that Wayne’s ideal scenario would be to play for one more season and then retire.

It may be painful for some Colts fans to see Wayne suit up for the Patriots this season, but Indianapolis’ front office made the decision to move on from the longtime Colt when his contract expired earlier this year. GM Ryan Grigson and company signed Andre Johnson and drafted Phillip Dorsett to help solidify Luck’s receiving corps in the wake of Wayne’s departure.

For Wayne, who has spent most of his career catching passes from Peyton Manning and Luck, moving to a team led by Tom Brady will mean working with another future Hall-of-Famer. Of course, if Brady’s suspension is upheld in court, it will be Jimmy Garoppolo, rather than Brady, who opens the season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback.

Whichever quarterback starts Week 1 for New England will be working with a talented group of pass-catchers that includes Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola, and now Wayne. Edelman and LaFell are among the Patriots wideouts who have been slowed by injuries this summer, but neither player’s Week 1 availability is believed to be in jeopardy at this point. Adding Wayne gives the Pats a little more veteran depth as those players recover.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NFC Notes: JPP, Mathis, Wayne

August 24th, 2015 at 9:26pm CST by Zachary Links

According to three sources informed of his recovery, Jason Pierre Paul‘s rehab is “progressing very well,” Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. However, it’s not clear if the Giants star will be in uniform Week 1 against the Cowboys. It’s also not clear when the Giants will get a chance to examine JPP’s hand to get a better read on his situation. Here’s more from the NFC..

  • Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters, including Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times (on Twitter), that even though Evan Mathis‘ workout went well, there are “a lot of issues” preventing a deal from happening. The biggest roadblock, unsurprisingly, is Mathis’ asking price. Carroll indicated that the Seahawks can’t offer the guard the $5.5MM salary he earned last year with the Eagles. The Seahawks may have to wait and see if Mathis gets that kind of cash elsewhere. If he doesn’t, then he could bounce back to them, Condotta tweets.
  • Reggie Wayne considered waiting for the Packers, but the team did not confirm its interest before Wayne decided to sign with the Patriots, Josina Anderson of ESPN.com tweets.
  • Washington worked out fullback/tight end Evan Rodriguez today, according to John Keim of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The versatile Rodriguez spent time on Tampa’s practice squad last year and made five starts with the Bears in 2012.

FA Rumors: Packers, Wayne, Mathis, Deering

August 24th, 2015 at 10:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Packers are still waiting on the official results of Jordy Nelson‘s MRI, but if the star wideout has a torn ACL, as is feared, the team is expected to inquire on Reggie Wayne, reports Dianna Marie Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Green Bay still has a good deal of wide receiver depth without Nelson, and the club typically doesn’t sign outside free agents very often, so it seems unlikely that Wayne would land with the Packers. It’s fair to wonder if Wayne’s camp is using Green Bay as a leverage play, as the veteran free agent attempts to negotiate a deal with the Patriots or perhaps another team.

As we wait to see where Wayne lands, let’s round up a few more notes on free agents….

  • Agent Drew Rosenhaus expects free agent guard Evan Mathis to have a new team by the end of the week, he said during an appearance on South Florida’s WSVN-7 (link via Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald). According to Rosenhaus, his client has received interest from the Seahawks and “other teams,” and Salguero suggests the Dolphins should be in the mix if Mathis’ asking price is coming down at all.
  • It’s a busy week for former Rutgers safety Jeremy Deering, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, who tweets that Deering tried out for the Eagles, is working out for the Colts today, and has an audition with the Jets later in the week.
  • Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin examines the Packers‘ wide receiver situation, speculating that ex-Packer James Jones could be an option for the team. For now though, Jones is a Giant, so he’d probably have to be cut for Green Bay to consider him. Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports made a similar point yesterday.

AFC East Notes: Wayne, Jets, Bills

August 23rd, 2015 at 8:32pm CST by Ben Levine

There was a mixed reaction among league executives to reports that veteran wideout Reggie Wayne visited the Patriots, tweets Albert Breer of the NFL Network.

“He’ll be in great shape – always takes car of himself,” said one AFC executive. “Tremendous pro and teammate. Health has been issue past two years. Great hands and routes. Did not have a lot left in his legs last year and struggled. Will struggle vs press – very savvy vs zone. New England has history of getting some production out of players like him.”

“Possession guy with hands and savviness but loss of speed and explosiveness evident,” said another AFC exec. “Maybe as a role player, but don’t see him as a starter solution.”

Let’s check out some more notes from around the AFC East…

  • Colts coach Chuck Pagano was thrilled that Wayne may get an opportunity to play this season. “I think that’s great for Reg,” Pagano said (via ESPN.com’s Mike Wells on Twitter). “Happy they’re looking at him and there’s an opportunity.”
  • While John Idzik‘s tenure with the Jets has certainly been scrutinized, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes that he may have found a pair of diamonds in the rough. Cornerback Marcus Williams and wideout Quincy Enunwa were both under-the-radar pickups by the former general manager, and the players are set to contribute in 2015.
  • Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus has continued to complain about his contract situation, and Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News has some of the player’s comments following last night’s game. “They’re making it hard,” said Dareus, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. “And it’s just really making me unhappy. I feel like they don’t really want me here…We’re still waiting. I feel like they don’t want me here as bad as I want to be here, as bad as the fans and my team wants me here. I feel like they’re saying, ‘Whatever. You come a dime a dozen.’”

Reggie Wayne Takes Physical With Patriots

August 23rd, 2015 at 12:08pm CST by Rory Parks

Reggie Wayne arrived in New England last night and is taking a physical with the Patriots today, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter). Wayne, of course, has maintained that he wants to play in 2015, and he said last month that he had received interest from several clubs. Until today, however, we had yet to hear anything more concrete.

The 36-year-old veteran of 14 NFL seasons is no longer the sort of impact player he was during his prime. However, he was still a reliable target for Andrew Luck last season, compiling 779 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 64 catches. Over the course of his Hall-of-Fame career, Wayne has compiled over 14,000 receiving yards, the most among active receivers and eighth all time. He also has 82 touchdowns and six Pro Bowl nods to his credit. He plans to play for one more season, with a championship contender, and then call it a career.

Of course, just because he is taking a physical with New England does not mean that he will ultimately sign with the team. But as Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes, Wayne does have a fan in Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who had this to say in advance of the Colts-Patriots matchup last November:

“[H]e’s still really good at everything. [He’s] obviously a real smart and experienced guy; knows how to set up routes, make all of his routes look the same, does a great job of releasing and then at the top of his routes being able to create separation at just the right time when the quarterback is ready to throw. He’s been a key guy for them in critical situations and third down-type situations.”

Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com tweets that there is some debate in the scouting community as to how much Wayne has left in the tank, but the veteran savvy that Belichick describes would serve Wayne in good stead in the relatively complex New England offense, particularly when combined with talented younger players like Julian Edelman and Brandon LaFell. As Reiss observes (via Twitter), it makes sense that New England would be doing its due diligence on Wayne, as Edelman, LaFell, Brian Tyms, and Aaron Dobson have all been dealing with injuries, and Brandon Gibson limped off the field with a knee injury in last night’s preseason contest against the Saints.

Ben Volin of The Boston Globe adds an interesting footnote to this development (via Twitter). Volin points out that, as a vested veteran, the Patriots would have to guarantee Wayne’s full salary if he were to make the Week 1 roster. But if the team were to sign him after Week 1, that would no longer be the case.

At this point, though, we will simply have to wait and see if yet another storyline will be added to the longstanding Colts-Patriots rivalry.

 

Panthers Not Pursuing Wayne, Other WRs

August 20th, 2015 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite losing their No. 1 wide receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, to a season-ending ACL injury, the Panthers aren’t in a hurry to sign a free agent or to acquire a wideout via trade. As David Newton of ESPN.com writes, the team isn’t currently shopping for a receiver, and isn’t looking at veteran free agent Reggie Wayne.

“We feel real good about who we have right now. We really do,” head coach Ron Rivera said. “We’ll see. We’ve got plenty of time. We’ve just got to be patient with them.”

With Benjamin, who topped 1,000 yards in his rookie season, no longer in the mix, the team will rely on a group that includes second-round rookie Devin Funchess, Corey Brown, Ted Ginn Jr., Jerricho Cotchery, and Jarrett Boykin. While there are some solid players in that group, it’s unlikely that any of them will match Benjamin’s production — it’s not even clear who would have been the team’s No. 2 receiver, prior to Benjamin’s injury.

For their part, some Panthers sources believe Funchess can step in and post numbers similar to what Benjamin did in his rookie year, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link), who also says that the team isn’t in the market for a veteran free agent, at least for now. It seems unlikely that the former Michigan wideout, who is currently battling a hamstring injury, will be that effective out of the gate, but he’ll be forced into a larger role than anticipated, and the Panthers appear confident he can handle it.

“We drafted Devin for a reason,” Rivera said. “You want to have a big, quality receiver, and Devin gives us that still.”

Newton, Cole, and Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer all suggest that the Panthers like their depth at wide receiver, so if the team does pursue an outside option, it figures to happen closer to the season, if an intriguing player becomes available during roster cutdowns.

Kelvin Benjamin Has Torn ACL

August 19th, 2015 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

4:51pm: The Panthers confirmed that Benjamin is done for the year, David Newton of ESPN.com tweets.

4:39pm: The worst-case scenario for the Panthers has come to fruition, as Kelvin Benjamin‘s MRI today revealed an ACL tear, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The club has yet to officially confirm the news, but the injury figures to sideline the young wideout for the entire 2015 season, a devastating blow for a team relying on Benjamin to be its No. 1 receiver.

As a rookie in 2004, Benjamin had 73 catches for 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. This season, the Panthers were counting on that level of production and perhaps more as they looked to have a bounce back year on the whole.

The Panthers could look to the free agent market for outside help, but they have yet to contact the reps for Reggie Wayne, a league source tells Joseph Person of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Wayne, who spent 14 years in Indianapolis after being drafted by the Colts in the first round way back in 2001, is no longer the sort of impact player he was during his prime. However, he was still a reliable target for Andrew Luck last season, compiling 779 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 64 catches.

Latest On Reggie Wayne

July 20th, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Last week, Reggie Wayne reiterated that he wants to play at least one more season in the NFL, suggesting that a few teams had been in touch with him this offseason. At the time, Dave Furst of WRTV-6 in Indianapolis tweeted that the Patriots, Ravens, Texans, and Packers were showing some interest in the veteran wideout, with the Broncos having backed off.

A pair of reports today, however, have reduced that list of potential suitors by half. According to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens are not expected to pursue Wayne, given his age and the presence of another 36-year-old wideout – Steve Smith Sr. – on the roster. Baltimore doesn’t appear to be in the market for receiving help in general, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com, who tweets that the club also isn’t likely to go after the recently-waived Ace Sanders.

Meanwhile, John McClain of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link) reports that the Texans aren’t interested in Wayne either. Houston lost its longtime No. 1 receiver Andre Johnson to the Colts earlier this offseason, so it would be somewhat fitting for the Texans to land Wayne, but it doesn’t appear that will happen.

Wayne has said he’s healthy after playing through a triceps injury last year, and his 2014 numbers indicate he can still be productive. But the deep wide receiver draft classes in 2014 and 2015 have dampened interest around the league in veterans like Wayne, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports. In Robinson’s view, the former Colt will likely have to wait for players to start getting hurt in training camp before he signs somewhere.

AFC Mailbags: Chiefs, Colts, Jags, Bengals

July 18th, 2015 at 10:48am CST by Ben Levine

It’s Saturday morning, and that means ESPN.com’s NFL writers are opening their mailbags and answering questions from readers. Let’s take a look at some interesting notes from the AFC…

  • Adam Teicher points to wideouts Reggie Wayne and James Jones as potential targets for the Chiefs. He also adds that offensive lineman Evan Mathis is still available, but notes that coach Andy Reid previously said the team has no interest in the 33-year-old.
  • Mike Wells says Colts fans shouldn’t be upset or concerned where Reggie Wayne lands, even if it’s with the rival Patriots. The writer refers to New England’s interest in the wideout back in 2012.
  • The Jaguars could have waited a year and tried to draft Jameis Winston, but Mike DiRocco believes that would have been too much of a risk. The team believed Blake Bortles could be the future of the franchise, so the writer doesn’t blame the front office’s strategy.
  • Coley Harvey opines that it’d be “hard to justify” the Bengals signing A.J. Green to a Dez Bryant/Demaryius Thomas-type contract. Green has certainly established himself as one of the top wideouts in the league, but Harvey believes the receiver’s injury history may have hurt his value. Ultimately, Harvey thinks both sides will wait to negotiate until after this season, and he’d be shocked if Green received more than $43 million in guaranteed money.
  • Harvey also believes there is zero chance Jermaine Gresham will be returning to the Bengals next season.

Reggie Wayne Still Plans To Play In 2015

July 17th, 2015 at 10:23am CST by Luke Adams

It has been a few months since we’ve heard any concrete updates on Reggie Wayne‘s plans for 2015, but the veteran wide receiver still intends to play this season, he told reporters this morning. According to Mike Wells of ESPN.com (via Twitter), Wayne said today that teams have been calling him, and he plans to eventually sign with one of them.

It’s not clear which specific teams have interest in Wayne, but it’s hard to imagine the longtime Colt joining a club without Super Bowl aspirations. When Wayne indicated back in March that retirement wasn’t in the cards quite yet, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported that the 36-year-old figured to sign with a contending team.

Wayne, who spent 14 years in Indianapolis after being drafted by the Colts in the first round way back in 2001, is no longer the sort of impact player he was during his prime. However, he was still a reliable target for Andrew Luck last season, compiling 779 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 64 catches. According to Kevin Bowen of Colts.com (via Twitter), Wayne’s ideal scenario would be to play for one more season and then retire.

Any club with interest in signing Wayne would presumably deploy him as a third or fourth wideout, rather than relying on him as a top target. When camps get underway and injuries begin to mount, his list of potential suitors may increase.

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