Robert Turbin - Pro Football Rumors

Cowboys Sign Robert Turbin

November 18th, 2015 at 8:14am CST by Luke Adams

A day after parting ways with one former Seahawks running back – Christine Michael – the Cowboys are bringing aboard another, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, who reports that the club is signing Robert Turbin.

Turbin, who turns 26 next month, was claimed off waivers by the Browns prior to their first regular season game, despite the fact that he was still recovering from an ankle injury. After sitting out for five weeks, Turbin made his Cleveland debut against the Broncos last month, and appeared in three games for the team before being waived. In those three games, Turbin ran the ball 18 times for 60 yards, adding another eight yards on two receptions.

During his first three NFL seasons, Turbin served as Marshawn Lynch‘s primary backup in Seattle, compiling 928 rushing yards on 231 carries, along with another 427 yards on 43 receptions, from 2012 to 2014. Turbin is the third former Seattle back picked up by the Cowboys this year, who also traded for Michael and claimed Rod Smith off waivers from the Seahawks.

In Dallas, Turbin will join a backfield that has undergone plenty of changes this season, and currently features Darren McFadden, Smith, and Trey Williams. While Turbin figures to start no higher than second or third on that depth chart, he could see his role increase if he gets up to speed quickly and plays well for the Cowboys.

East Notes: Patriots, Cowboys, Jeffcoat

November 12th, 2015 at 4:52pm CST by Luke Adams

With running back Dion Lewis out for the season, the Patriots are on the lookout for potential additions at the position, bringing in a couple more veteran free agents for workouts this week, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport tweets that Pierre Thomas and Robert Turbin, recently cut by the 49ers and Browns respectively, auditioned for the Pats.

Thomas, in particular, could be a good fit in New England, since catching passes out of the backfield is one of his strength. However, in his brief stint in San Francisco, it looked like he was still attempting to shake off some rust after sitting out most of the 2015 season. The Pats also tried out Daryl Richardson earlier this week, so it’ll be interesting to see if they add another back within the next week or two, or if they try to get by with a combination of LeGarrette Blount, James White, and Brandon Bolden for now.

Here’s more from around the NFL’s East divisions:

As if the Cowboys‘ locker room wasn’t already a tense place to be these days, with the team having lost six straight games, and the presence of Greg Hardy drawing increased scrutiny, things got even more emotional today. As Eric Prisbell of USA Today outlines, wide receiver Dez Bryant yelled and cursed at multiple reporters today in the Dallas locker room, believing one had called teammate Devin Street a racial slur, though that charge was uncorroborated by other media members in the area.
With a game against the Patriots looming, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin admitted that he regrets the fact that Julian Edelman isn’t wearing a Giants uniform this weekend (link via Mike Petraglia of WEEI.com). The Pats receiver visited New York as a free agent in 2013, but ultimately opted to re-sign with New England.
Linebacker Jackson Jeffcoat showed that he could be a good reserve player for Washington, but he ultimately came up short on special teams, Rich Tandler of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. Jeffcoat was quickly placed on IR and released from IR with a settlement this week.
Speaking to Colin Cowherd this week, former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman – who hasn’t played in the NFL in 15 years – said he still has the arm strength to go out and play in the league (link via the Dallas Morning News). So if quarterbacks like Drew Brees and Tom Brady want to play well into their forties, arm strength shouldn’t be the issue — it’ll be a matter of avoiding injuries like the chronic back issue that forced Aikman into retirement.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Browns Waive Robert Turbin

November 10th, 2015 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

The Browns have cut running back Robert Turbin from their 53-man roster, the team announced today (via Twitter). Turbin’s roster spot will now be occupied by offensive lineman Darrian Miller, who has been elevated from the practice squad.

Turbin, who turns 26 next month, was claimed off waivers by the Browns prior to their first regular season game, despite the fact that he was still recovering from an ankle injury. After sitting out for five weeks, Turbin made his Cleveland debut against the Broncos last month, and appeared in three games for the team.

In those three games, Turbin ran the ball 18 times for 60 yards, adding another eight yards on two receptions. While it briefly appeared as though he may become a significant part of the offense, fumbling issues plagued Turbin against the Cardinals, and may have ultimately led to his release. The Browns will move forward with Isaiah Crowell and Duke Johnson Jr. carrying the load.

Crowell and Johnson are currently the only running backs on Cleveland’s roster, outside of fullback Malcolm Johnson, so we’ll see if the team makes another move later in the work to fortify the position. As for Turbin, he’ll have to pass through waivers before becoming a free agent.

Extra Points: Browns, Draft Prospects

October 16th, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Browns running back Robert Turbin is recovered from an ankle injury that kept him out of action for the five weeks of the NFL season and will make his debut with the team this Sunday. Turbin, whose first opponent will be the Broncos and their fifth-ranked run defense, has lofty goals for the season.

“I feel like this is going to be my team,” Turbin said, according to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer.

Turbin added that he wants to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark, which will be extra difficult in an 11-game season.

Turbin, a fourth-round pick out of Utah State in 2012, spent the first three years of his career in Seattle. The Seahawks waived him in September and the Browns subsequently claimed him. The 25-year-old has amassed 231 carries and 928 yards, good for 4.0 yards per rush. That’s not great, but it would be an improvement for a Browns offense that currently has the league’s 27th-ranked per-carry average (3.7).

More on the Browns and a couple of notes concerning the 2016 draft:

Despite his latest off-field issue, the Browns plan to suit up quarterback Johnny Manziel as Josh McCown‘s backup Sunday. That’s the wrong approach, opines the Northeast Ohio Media Group’s Bud Shaw, who believes the Browns should discipline Manziel by deactivating him for Week 6.
In another piece regarding Manziel, Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today contends that any credibility he reestablished with the team after an offseason that included a rehab stint could be gone. She also wonders whether the second-year man’s career is now in jeopardy.
Former UCLA linebacker Myles Jack has chosen Octagon Sports as his agency as he prepares for next spring’s draft, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal (Twitter link). John Thornton will represent Jack, who withdrew from UCLA earlier this month after suffering a season-ending knee injury in September. Jack is a potential first-round pick.
There’s talk among agents that junior Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright will turn pro after this season, according to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter). Wright’s standout performance last year earned him All-America honors, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Jack Lambert Award (nation’s best linebacker), and the Chuck Bednarik Award (nation’s top defender).

AFC Notes: Wilkerson, Aldon, Turbin

September 12th, 2015 at 5:52pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Jets and standout defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson are far apart on contract talks as Sunday’s opener draws ever closer, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reports. It’s unlikely the two will continue negotiating when the season begins, according to La Canfora, which means the 25-year-old could be on the eve of beginning his final season with the Jets. La Canfora writes that the Jets haven’t been willing to give Wilkerson similar guaranteed money to what Cameron Jordan ($23.96MM) and Cameron Heyward ($15MM) received from New Orleans and Pittsburgh, respectively. Further, given the massive extension AFC East rival Buffalo signed Marcell Dareus to earlier this week, the Jets’ offers to Wilkerson look even less appealing to the defender. The team’s latest offer to Wilkerson is far lower than what Dareus received from the Bills, per La Canfora, even though Wilkerson – like Dareus – has established himself as one of the NFL’s best D-linemen.

While Wilkerson is displeased with the Jets’ negotiating tactics, his agent, Chad Wiesteling, says it won’t affect his on-field performance.

“Mo loves being a Jet, and nothing less than a Super Bowl for New York will satisfy him this season. He will play his heart out for this team regardless of his contract situation.”

AFC Notes: Steelers, Browns, Castonzo

September 11th, 2015 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

After all the talk about DeflateGate that dominated the NFL news wire for the majority of the 2015 calendar year, last night’s season opener was supposed to return the conversation to what happened on the field. However, two off-field incidents stole headlines from Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com has updates on both stories.

According to Schefter, Steelers tight end coach James Daniel is being investigated by the Steelers and the NFL for allegedly assaulting and verbally accosting a Patriots fan on the way to the locker room before halftime. According to witnesses, Daniel kicked the Pats fan in the back of his leg and yelled at the fan. Depending on what the investigations by the team and the league turn up, Daniel could be facing a suspension and/or fine.

Meanwhile, after head coach Mike Tomlin complained about issues with the Gilette Stadium headsets, the Steelers opted not to file a formal complaint with the NFL. However, according to Steelers spokesman Burt Lauten, via Schefter, the team provided league reps with information regarding those communications issues.

Here’s more from around the AFC:

Asked today about the Browns‘ decision to cut Terrelle Pryor, head coach Mike Pettine said the team initially held onto the former Raiders quarterback because of his potential as a receiver. However, he was occupying the 53rd roster spot, and the club likes running back Robert Turbin too much to have passed up on him (Twitter link via Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal).
Several players around the league are putting the finishes touches on contract extensions as the regular season approaches. However, it doesn’t appear that Browns safety Tashaun Gipson or Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon will sign new deals with their respective teams anytime soon, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald (Twitter links).
Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports provides some additional details on Anthony Castonzo‘s new extension with the Colts, tweeting that the left tackle received a $14MM signing bonus.
Free agent wide receiver DaVaris Daniels is working out for the Jaguars today, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter link). Daniels was claimed off waivers by the Patriots after being dropped by the Vikings, but didn’t survive New England’s cutdown to 53 players.

Browns Cut Terrelle Pryor, Add Robert Turbin

September 10th, 2015 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

3:42pm: Pryor tells Cabot (Twitter link) that the Browns cut him to clear a spot on the roster to claim running back Robert Turbin off waivers from the Seahawks. It makes sense that Cleveland would want another running back on the roster, with just two backs currently active and one of them – Duke Johnson – recovering from a concussion. However, Turbin has an injury of his own — his ankle is expected to sideline him for a few more weeks.

3:34pm: Terrelle Pryor, playing a new position, appeared over the weekend to have earned a spot on the Browns’ Week 1 roster, but it sounds like he won’t be on the team for its regular season opener after all. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (via Twitter), the Browns are waiving Pryor, who converted to wide receiver this summer.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter link), Pryor himself confirmed his release. “This will be a mistake by them,” he said.

The move comes as a bit of a surprise, since Pryor reportedly impressed Cleveland’s coaching staff over the summer as he transitioned into a new role. Although he was limited by a hamstring issue and head coach Mike Pettine said it would require a “leap of faith” to carry him on the roster, Pryor looked like a back-of-the-roster player with some upside, one who could perhaps be involved in some gadget plays and act as the team’s emergency quarterback if necessary.

The last time Pryor was cut, back in June by the Bengals, the Browns snatched him off waivers, and the Cowboys and Patriots also submitted claims, per Dianna Russini of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Of course, at that time, teams were carrying 90 players on their rosters, so it’ll be interesting to see if the former Raiders signal-caller makes it through waivers unclaimed this time around.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/9/15

September 9th, 2015 at 7:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor signings, cuts, and other moves..

The Eagles have signed reserve offensive lineman Dennis Kelly to a one-year extension through 2016, according to a league source who spoke with Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Kelly will earn a $760K base salary with a $30K workout bonus.
The Seahawks waived running back Robert Turbin off of their IR with an injury settlement, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. The 25-year-old Turbin was a fourth-round pick of Seattle in 2012. Since then, he’s amassed 928 yards on 231 carries (4.0 YPC), also adding 43 catches and two receiving touchdowns. Seattle waived Turbin shortly after adding Fred Jackson last week.
Washington gave wide receiver Evan Spencer (concussion) an injury settlement and released him from injured reserve, Zac Boyer of The Washington Times tweets.
The following players reached injury settlements with their respective teams, per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter): Jerome Smith (Falcons), D.J. Tialavea (Falcons), Josh Martin (Chiefs), Christion Jones (Dolphins), Melvin Meggs (Chargers), Josh Allen (Buccaneers).
The Seahawks worked out an injury settlement with Triston Wade, Wilson tweets.

Seahawks Confirm McCray Trade, Set Roster

September 5th, 2015 at 5:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Seahawks have confirmed one of their two recently-reported acquisitions, announcing that they’ve traded for safety Kelcie McCray, sending a fifth-round draft pick to the Chiefs in the swap, as we heard earlier. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (via Twitter), the deal for McCray is a public sign of what the team has privately told Kam Chancellor: Seattle isn’t willing to negotiate with him.

We’re still awaiting official word on Seattle’s reported agreement with running back Fred Jackson, so an additional cut will be required when that move is finalized. For now though, the Seahawks are down to 53 players. Via a team release, here’s how they got there:

Released:

CB Will Blackmon
TE Anthony McCoy

Waived:

LB Tyrell Adams
TE Rashaun Allen
QB R.J. Archer
DE Obum Gwacham
S Keenan Lambert
S Ronald Martin
DT T.Y. McGill
CB Douglas McNeil
OL Keavon Milton
S Ryan Murphy
OL Will Pericak
LB Eric Pinkins
OL Terry Poole
LB Alex Singleton
WR Kevin Smith
RB Rod Smith
DE Julius Warmsley
WR Kasen Williams

Placed on injured reserve:

CB Mohammed Seisay
RB Robert Turbin

Placed on reserve/non-football illness list:

DT Jesse Williams

Seahawks To Waive Robert Turbin

September 4th, 2015 at 9:30pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Seahawks are waiving running back Robert Turbin with an injury designation, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

Turbin – who is dealing with a high ankle sprain – is expected to miss roughly five weeks, so it’s not a shoo-in he’ll be claimed by another team. Under NFL rules, a waived/injured player is free to be claimed by other teams for 24 hours. If no one bites within that period, the player reverts to his team’s IR list.

The Turbin decision comes on the heels of the Seahawks’ addition of fellow running back Fred Jackson, who is expected to be the primary reserve behind starter Marshawn Lynch. It also comes in the wake of a Friday evening report by Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com that the Seahawks have been exploring trading another backup runner, Christine Michael (Twitter link).

For now, though, it’s Turbin – not Michael – who’s on the negative side of the Jackson pickup. The 25-year-old Turbin was a fourth-round pick of Seattle in 2012. Since then, he’s amassed 928 yards on 231 carries (4.0 YPC), also adding 43 catches and two receiving touchdowns.