West Notes: Raiders, L.A., Chargers, Cards
As rumors swirl about the NFL’s goal of moving not just one but two franchises to Los Angeles in the near future, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report hears that the Raiders – and owner Mark Davis – are open to relocating to the NFC if it means getting a new stadium in L.A. Assuming the league gets its wish and relocates two teams to Los Angeles, the Raiders and Chargers appear to be the two most likely candidates, and having two L.A. teams in the same division wouldn’t be ideal, as Cole explains. We’re still a long ways off from this scenario becoming a reality, but the fact that such a possibility is even being considered suggests that it’s not just a pipe dream.
Let’s round up a few more Wednesday items from around the NFL’s two West divisions….
- According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), if a team were to move to Los Angeles, possibilities for a temporary home (until a new stadium is built) include Dodger Stadium, the Coliseum, and the Rose Bowl.
- As they deal with a lack of depth at the linebacker position, the Raiders brought in several veterans for a look, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Tim Dobbins, Jamar Chaney, and Steve Beauharnais all worked out for Oakland, though Beauharnais has since signed with Washington’s practice squad.
- The Chargers, who lost Danny Woodhead for the year and have also seen Ryan Mathews and Donald Brown suffer injuries, worked out running backs Cierre Wood and Brennan Clay this week, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- A pair of free agent defensive backs, Robert Steeples and Ross Weaver, auditioned for the Cardinals, tweets Wilson.
- Head coach Pete Carroll indicated today that the Seahawks may make a move to add some depth at center, tweets Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.
Workout Notes: Beauharnais, Brown, Lewis
With injuries piling up and rosters changing, a number of players have had workouts with various teams in anticipation of week four action.
Here are some of the players who have had workouts with teams recently:
- Free agent linebacker Steve Beauharnais worked out for the Chargers today, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The linebacker has worked out for six clubs since being waived by the Patriots, including an audition for the Bucs yesterday.
- The Ravens worked out cornerback Jalil Brown, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Brown has formerly played for the Dolphins and the Chiefs. They also worked out two former Bears’ tight ends, Kellen Davis and Matthew Mulligan, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
- The Seahawks worked out M.D. Jennings, Tommie Campbell, R.J. Stanford and Jerome Murphy, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
- The Panthers worked out Marcus Davis, LaDon Hudson, and Willie Snead, reports Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Vikings worked out running back Dion Lewis, tight ends Jake Stoneburner and Ryan Otten, and quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
Workout Notes: Cox, Beauharnais, Stanzi
The Eagles didn’t bring in any offensive linemen for workouts today or Monday, a league source tells Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News (on Twitter). Plenty of teams are busy auditioning players, however. We did a roundup of workout news earlier today and we have a whole ‘nother batch right here..
- Defensive back Derek Cox and linebacker Steve Beauharnais are among the busiest free agents in the NFL, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Cox tried out for the Saints while Beauharnais worked out for the Buccaneers, a source tells Yates.
- The Lions worked out defensive backs Chance Casey, T.J. Heath, Aaron Hester, and Kendall James, and wide receiver Ifeanyi Momah, tweets Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com.
- The Giants worked out quarterback Ricky Stanzi, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (on Twitter). The Giants also worked out safeties Bacarri Rambo, Corey Lynch and Jerron McMillian and wide receiver Juron Criner, according to Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger (on Twitter).
- The Packers took a look at linebacker Nate Askew, running back Stephen Houston, running back Cameron White, and tackle Michael Philipp, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Guard Josh Walker was also part of today’s tryouts and he wound up getting signed to Green Bay’s practice squad.
- Nose tackle Ryan Pickett tried out for the Texans, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com. The veteran started 16 games for Green Bay last season.
Extra Points: Jets, Bush, Idonije, Hill
The Jets‘ erratic play is sending mixed signals, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Gang Green looked great in the first 20 minutes against the Packers and produced more than 400 yards of offense against the Raiders in their opener. However, they blew an 18-point lead against Green Bay and their mistakes allowed the Raiders to stay in the game for longer than they should have. Here’s more from around the league..
- There are a number of notable NFL free agents auditioning for clubs around the league, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Redskins are working out running back Michael Bush, the Cardinals auditioned defensive end Israel Idonije, the Dolphins checked out Tom Crabtree, and the Lions are checking out linebacker Steve Beauharnais and cornerback Derek Cox.
- The Ravens are cautiously optimistic when it comes to safety Will Hill‘s status under the new proposed drug policy, writes Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. Hill is currently serving a six-game suspension for marijuana.
- The Texans brought in defensive tackle Fred Evans for a workout, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
- Presuming the drug policy is pushed over the goal line, the NFL’s goal is to begin hGH testing by the end of the month, a source tells Albert Breer of the NFL Network (on Twitter).
Lions Worked Out Kickers, Beauharnais
The Lions conducted workouts with several veteran players today, including a handful of kickers, according to various reports. Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Rob Bironas, Alex Henery, and Garrett Hartley all auditioned for the club, while Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun tweets that former Patriots linebacker Steve Beauharnais was also in Detroit for a tryout.
While Beauharnais’ workout looks fairly standard, the fact that Detroit brought in multiple veteran kickers is notable. Rookie Nate Freese won the job in the preseason, but he has struggled out of the gate for the Lions — he has made just two of five field goal attempts so far, with both converted tries coming from inside 30 yards.
Birons, Henery, and Hartley were the starting kickers for the Titans, Eagles, and Saints respectively for most or all of last season, and could prove to be more reliable than Freese. I’d expect the Lions to give their seventh-round pick at least one more chance to straighten things out, but his leash may not be much longer than that.
NFC North Notes: Lions, Bears, Vikings
Let’s round up a few Thursday items from out of the NFC North, where the two preseason favorites – the Packers and Bears – sit at 0-1, looking up at the first-place Lions and Vikings….
- The Lions will have an open roster spot after placing Corey Hilliard and Bill Bentley on injured reserve this week, and while it had been assumed that the opening would be used to add a defensive back, it won’t necessarily be an outside signing. Head coach Jim Caldwell said today that the most likely scenario would have the team promoting a player from its practice squad, tweets Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. As Birkett points out (via Twitter), Mohammed Seisay and Nate Ness are the two defensive backs currently on the club’s practice squad.
- Depending on the status of a handful of their injured players, the Bears could make additional roster moves before Sunday, perhaps to add an offensive lineman and/or a wide receiver, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
- The Vikings were among the teams that had players in for workouts this week, auditioning linebackers Steve Beauharnais and Phillip Steward, as well as guard Jon Halapio, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). It’s worth noting that both Beauharnais and Halapio were cut at the end of the preseason by the Patriots, Minnesota’s Week 2 opponent.
AFC Links: Jaguars, Jets, Patriots, Browns
Let’s round up some news from the AFC…
- The Jaguars worked out a trio of kickers today, according to Field Yates of ESPN (Twitter link). Jay Feely, Alex Henery, and Derek Dimke all tried out for Jacksonville, which is likely updating its emergency list of kickers as incumbent Josh Scobee deals with a quadriceps injury.
- Yates also notes that the Jets worked out linebacker Steve Beauharnais, who spent 2013 with the Patriots. Beauharnais, a Rutgers product, had a workout with the Giants on Tuesday.
- In his latest piece for ESPN.com, Adam Schefter points out that while Golden Tate and Brandon LaFell have eerily similar statistics since both entered the league in 2010, Tate was guaranteed $10.5MM by the Lions over the offseason, while LaFell’s contract with the Patriots guarantees him just $3MM. While the pair’s traditional numbers are comparable, Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required) strongly favored Tate, grading him as the 18th-best receiver in 2013 — LaFell, meanwhile, was ranked at No. 94 among WRs.
- Without Josh Gordon in the fold, the Browns’ receiver corps seems to lack not only talent, but size — as Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer writes, the Browns’ average receiver stands 5’11”, 191.4 pounds. But general manager Ray Farmer isn’t second-guessing his decision to not add more WR depth, or to release veterans like Nate Burleson or Anthony Armstrong. “There’s no reason to waver,” Farmer said. “Talent is talent. I think that question everyone wants to know is ‘How come I don’t know him? How come I’ve never heard of that guy?’ I can’t answer that question. I don’t know the answer to it. I know that our scouts do a really good job of hitting the streets and figuring out who’s who on which roster and when we can pick up a guy and who’s out there to make our team better.”
East Notes: Wilkerson, Giants, Pats, Dolphins
If J.J. Watt is the standard for the defensive line market, averaging about $16MM per year, Wilkerson should come in somewhere around $13MM or $14MM a year, writes Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. Wilkerson is in the same boat as Watt was – he’s under contract through 2015. There isn’t a ton of pressure on the Jets to get something done, but they may want to lock up their stud for the long haul before it could cost them even more money. Here’s more out of the AFC and NFC East..
- Linebacker Steve Beauharnais was among the notable names auditioning for the Giants today, tweets Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Other names from today’s Giants workout include quarterbacks Matt Scott and Tyler Wilson, and wide receiver Juron Criner. As was previously reported, offensive lineman Adam Gettis and former Ball State wideout Willie Snead were also among the players in attendance.
- The Giants are working to sign former 49ers guard Adam Snyder, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). The Giants are looking for help on the offensive line with Geoff Schwartz out of action.
- The Patriots worked out long snapper Kevin McDermott, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (on Twitter).
- Former Patriot wide receiver Jeremy Gallon had a try out for the Dolphins today, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Patriots Cut Boyce, Worthy, Others
4:03pm: The Pats have announced three more cuts, in a press release:
- Danny Aiken, LS
- Jeremy Gallon, WR
- Jonas Gray, RB
The team’s official website now lists the team’s active roster at 55 players, so we’ll have to wait and see if there are another pair of announcements today. Presumably, the last two players removed from the roster will be Brandon Browner and Brian Tyms, who will be placed on the reserve-suspended list.
1:50pm: The Patriots continue to make moves, as they’ve cut three more players:
- James Morris (LB) (via Young on Twitter): Placed on injured reserve
- Eathyn Manumaleuna (DL) (via Young on Twitter)
- Chris Martin (OL) (via Young on Twitter)
11:42am: The Patriots have released 14 players this afternoon, including a player they acquired only two weeks and a fourth-rounder from 2013. The list is below:
- Shamiel Gary (DB) (via Jeff Howe on Twitter)
- Jon Halapio (OL) (via Howe on Twitter)
- Josh Boyce (WR) (via Mike Reiss on Twitter)
- Dax Swanson (DB) (via Aaron Wilson on Twitter)
- Jake Bequette (LB) (via Shalise Manza Young on Twitter)
- Steve Beauharnais (LB) (via Shalise Manza Young on Twitter)
- Steve Maneri (TE) (via Young on Twitter)
- Jerel Worthy (DE) (via Young on Twitter)
- Taylor McCuller (LB/FB) (via Young on Twitter)
- Roy Finch (RB) (via Young on Twitter)
- L.T. Tuipulotu (DT) (via Doug Kyed on Twitter)
- Kanorris Davis (S) (via Zuri Berry on Twitter)
- Ja’Gared Davis (OLB) (via Zuri Berry on Twitter)
- Braxston Cave (OL) (via Young on Twitter)