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Terrelle Pryor

AFC North Notes: Whitner, Pryor, Ravens, Bengals

December 12th, 2015 at 12:50pm CST by Rob DiRe

Between a league-worst record and the mishandling of Johnny Manziel, Browns head coach Mike Pettine is definitely a candidate to be replaced this offseason in Cleveland. At least one veteran doesn’t want to see that happen, in Donte Whitner, who believes the staff deserves another year to right the ship, writes Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal.

“Sometimes it’s not greener on the other side. Sometimes you have to stick it out to get to where you want to get to,” Whitner said. “Who’s to say we couldn’t come out next season with the same coaching staff being in the third year in the system and run off a streak like the Carolina Panthers?”

Here are some more notes from around the AFC North:

  • Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor will make his first appearance this season at wide receiver for the Browns this Sunday against the 49ers, writes Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.“Terrelle looks good, I don’t know if he’s ready to take on a full role, but there’s a chance that there will be some involvement in the plan there,” said Pettine. “He’s just got to play (to get some experience). The credit to him, he came back in great shape, came back in really, really good shape and retained a lot of what we’re doing. You say, ‘Hey, it’s going to be sooner than later.’ More than likely, it’s going to be sooner.”
  • Matt Schaub hasn’t been ruled out of the Ravens’ game against the Seahawks this weekend, but signs are pointing to him not being able to play, writes Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). The team has already promoted quarterback Bryn Renner to the active roster, and Jimmy Clausen is expected to start.
  • The Bengals will leave cornerback Adam Jones inactive this week, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). The corners on the roster will be Leon Hall, Josh Shaw, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Troy Hill this week.

Browns Rumors: Pettine, QB, Haden, Hawkins

December 3rd, 2015 at 7:33pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns played a little better than many observers expected during Mike Pettine‘s first season as the head coach in 2014, but the team finished that season on a five-game losing streak, and have gone 2-9 so far in 2015. Taking those struggles into account, Pettine acknowledges that he and owner Jimmy Haslam figure to have a talk about his performance sooner or later, and he hopes he’ll have some positive signs to point to when that discussion happens.

“As the season winds down, [my future] could potentially come up between [Haslam and me],” Pettine said today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m full speed ahead to getting it fixed here in Cleveland, and I know the results aren’t anywhere near where they need to be. But that doesn’t mean that we’re not making strides, we’re not getting it set up that it can be done. So, to me, it’s a belief that we can. We got five games left and we’re going to go out and wear the Cleveland logo proud and try to win football games.”

As Pettine attempts to right the ship in Cleveland, let’s check in on a few more Browns-related notes…

  • Discussing the decision to start Austin Davis in Week 13, making him the Browns’ third starting quarterback in three weeks, Pettine suggested that just because Davis is atop the depth chart now, that doesn’t mean he’ll finish the year there (link via Ulrich). “I don’t want to declare, ‘Hey, this is what it is going to be from here on out,'” Pettine said. “[Davis and Johnny Manziel] are two young quarterbacks that have upside, and we want to see what that upside is. Austin is the guy for this week.”
  • According to Pettine, the Browns may have some discussions about the possibility of placing cornerback Joe Haden and/or wide receiver Andrew Hawkins on injured reserve (Twitter link via Tom Withers of The Associated Press). Both Haden and Hawkins have concussions, but the team hasn’t decided yet to shut down either player for the year.
  • New Browns wideout Terrelle Pryor said today that he was in the middle of a visit with the Bears this week when Cleveland called him, per Ulrich (Twitter link). Pryor was interested in a return to Cleveland since he knows the offense and offensive coordinator John DeFilippo.
  • The three-week practice period for Browns tight end Randall Telfer expired this week without a roster move, as Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets. Telfer has been on the non-football injury list all season, and having missed his window to be activated, he’ll officially be out for the rest of his rookie year.

Browns Re-Sign Terrelle Pryor

December 2nd, 2015 at 9:33am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 9:33am: The Browns have officially re-signed Pryor, who will be a wide receiver and a third quarterback for the team if and when he’s active, tweets Cabot.

TUESDAY, 4:23pm: Head coach Mike Pettine confirmed to reporters that the team is talking about signing Pryor, though there is “nothing official” on that front (Twitter link via Tony Grossi of ESPN.com). Pettine went on to say that bringing in another QB is on the table for discussion, Nate Ulrich of the Beacon Journal tweets.

10:49am: Nearly three months after cutting him, the Browns are bringing back Terrelle Pryor, reports Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (Twitter links). According to Cabot, Pryor had been getting set to meet with the Bears today, but is now signing with the Browns instead.

Pryor, 26, made the transition from quarterback to wide receiver this offseason, and impressed the Browns’ coaching staff in the preseason. However, he ended up being the 54th man on the squad heading into the regular season — he survived the initial cutdown to 53 players before being dropped when Cleveland claimed Robert Turbin off waivers, just days before the team’s Week 1 game.

Since then, Pryor has worked out for several teams across the NFL, including the Giants, Niners, Steelers, Seahawks, Jets, and Patriots. About a month ago, agent Drew Rosenhaus expressed optimism that those auditions would eventually result in a deal, telling ESPN’s Ashley Fox, “We’re confident that it’s just a matter of time until one of these teams decides to make the move.”

As expected, the Browns are signing Pryor as a wide receiver rather than a quarterback, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Still, it’s worth noting that starting QB Josh McCown is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a possible broken collarbone in Monday’s game against the Ravens. If McCown lands on IR, Pryor could serve as an emergency third option behind Austin Davis and Johnny Manziel.

Extra Points: Manziel, Pryor, Ratliff

October 28th, 2015 at 9:28pm CST by Zachary Links

The next round of CBA discussions could include some talks on a revamp of team practices, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com writes. In the last Collective Bargaining Agreement, there was a reduction in the number of practices and changes as to how teams practice and coaches have been fighting for more teaching opportunities for young players who are still learning. Ultimately, one of the key changes could see the size of the practice squad roster – currently at 10 – increase.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • At this point it would be a surprise if Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is found culpable and faced discipline for his incident, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Either way, we should all know for sure this week. The NFL is interviewing Manziel tonight about his role in the incident and they’ve already interviewed several of the parties involved (link).
  • Terrelle Pryor continues to work out in the hopes that a team will take a shot on him as a receiver, writes ESPN’s Ashley Fox. Pryor’s lack of practice squad eligibility has perhaps discouraged clubs from rolling the dice on him, but agent Drew Rosenhaus says his client’s workouts have all gone well: “We’re confident that it’s just a matter of time until one of these teams decides to make the move.”
  • The Bears notified the Cowboys of Jeremiah Ratliff’s release as a security precaution, sources tell David Moore of The Dallas Morning News. The Bears cut Ratliff last week after an incident at their practice facility and it sounds like things got fairly hostile. Ratliff has not attempted to come by the Cowboys facility in the past week, but due to the acrimonious nature of their split, the Bears felt compelled to give them a heads up.
  • Calvin Johnson to the Panthers? Tamba Hali to the Falcons? Those trade ideas may be far-fetched, but they’re two of eight deals that Gil Brandt of NFL.com would like to see happen by next Tuesday’s deadline.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Workout Updates: 10/16/15

October 16th, 2015 at 5:02pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve passed along a few of the more notable updates from the last few days on workouts and free agent visits, including the Giants trying out wide receivers like Terrelle Pryor and the Cowboys bringing in running back LaMike James. However, there are plenty more tryout updates from this week to round up, and we’ve got them all below. All links point to the Twitter account of Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post, unless otherwise indicated.

Arizona Cardinals

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Miami Dolphins

  • Devin Gardner, WR (link)
  • Josh Harper, WR

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo, LB (link)

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee Titans

NFC Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Pryor, Cards

October 14th, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cowboys are making a quarterback change for Week 7, giving the nod to Matt Cassel, and that’s not the only starting lineup move they’re considering on offense. As Ed Werder of ESPN.com reported this morning (via Twitter), Dallas may also start recently acquired running back Christine Michael over Joseph Randle, and rookie guard La’el Collins over Ronald Leary.

Head coach Jason Garrett has since confirmed that Collins will indeed start at left guard in place of Leary, though it’s not clear yet what the team’s running back rotation will look like. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link) hears from a Cowboys source that the team definitely plans on using Michael more, though Randle may still get the start.

Here’s more from around the NFC:

  • The Giants are the latest team to work out at Terrelle Pryor as a wide receiver, according to Pro Football Talk (via Twitter). While several clubs that have auditioned Pryor are likely just seeing what the former quarterback looks like in his new position, New York might require some additional depth at WR, with Odell Beckham Jr. and Rueben Randle banged up, and Victor Cruz‘s availability going forward still up in the air. The Giants also tried out wideouts T.J. Graham and A.J. Jenkins, writes Jordan Raanan of NJ.com.
  • Former Buccaneers defensive lineman Da’Quan Bowers is among the players working out for the Cowboys this week, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
  • Free agent cornerback Robert McClain has been busy over the last month and a half, working out for a handful of teams — Wilson tweets that McClain auditioned for the Cardinals this week, the veteran’s fifth tryout since the start of September.
  • In an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (SoundCloud link), Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians explained his team’s decision to sign veteran pass rusher Dwight Freeney, suggesting that the club had been in touch with Freeney multiple times since June.

Terrelle Pryor Working Out For Niners

October 5th, 2015 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

The 49ers will become the latest team to take a look at Terrelle Pryor, according to Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports, who reports (via Twitter) that Pryor is working out for San Francisco today. Getlin adds that the former Ohio State signal-caller will audition as a wide receiver rather than a quarterback.

Pryor, making the transition from quarterback to receiver this summer, impressed Browns coaches in training camp. However, after the team set its 53-man roster prior to Week 1, Pryor was essentially the 53rd man, making him expendable when other holes needed to be filled, and resulting in his release.

Since then, Pryor has tried out for a handful of teams interested in seeing what he looks like as a receiver. The Patriots, Seahawks, Jets, and Steelers are among the clubs that have brought Pryor in for at least one workout.

Of course, even though the Niners view him as a receiver, Pryor’s workout in San Francisco may fuel various theories and speculation in the Bay Area about the quarterback position, given Colin Kaepernick‘s poor performance through the season’s first four weeks. As Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports writes, despite initially being billed as a $126MM extension, Kaepernick’s current contract doesn’t offer much long-term security — Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap also explained today why Kaepernick’s deal doesn’t assure him of the Niners’ starting job beyond 2015.

Still, while Pryor’s ability to throw the ball may be a bonus for any team that decides to take a flier on him as a receiver, there’s no indication that the Niners are looking to move on from Kaepernick at this point, and it’s unlikely that Pryor would be their first choice in that scenario anyway.

According to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, linebacker Parys Haralson is also working out today for the 49ers.

Steelers Audition Terrelle Pryor

September 29th, 2015 at 6:16pm CST by Zachary Links

The Steelers auditioned Terrelle Pryor on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Pryor, a former quarterback now trying to make it as an NFL wide receiver, has been looking for work ever since the Browns cut him prior to the season opener.

Since he was cut by Cleveland, the Patriots, Seahawks, and Jets have been among the teams to take a close look at him. Now, we can add the Steelers to the list of clubs that have auditioned the former Ohio State signal caller. It’s not immediately clear how much interest the Steelers have in the 26-year-old, however, and it’s quite possible that they’re just examining players in an effort to keep their emergency lists up to date.

When word of the Browns waiving Pryor broke, the former Raiders quarterback said that it would be “a mistake” by the team. Cleveland head coach Mike Pettine acknowledged that possibility, but explained last week that the fact that Pryor was slowed in camp by a hamstring injury also contributed to the Browns’ decision to cut him.

“The fact is that [Pryor] wasn’t [healthy] and that he was not prepared at this point to be a viable productive member,” Pettine said, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m not saying that he never will be. I’m very confident that he will be knowing his work ethic. Knowing his skill set, he will be. Like I said, it’s timing and it’s circumstances.”

Extra Points: Pryor, Jets, Dolphins, CAA

September 28th, 2015 at 1:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Last week, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com reported that the Seahawks would be working out quarterback-turned-wide-receiver Terrelle Pryor. We later heard word of Pryor’s tryout with the Jets, though it wasn’t clear if he ever made it to Seattle. Today, Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk writes that the ex-Raiders signal-caller is auditioning for the Seahawks as a receiver this week. While PFT’s report makes it sound like it’ll be Pryor’s first workout with the Seahawks this season, La Canfora suggests (via Twitter) that the 26-year-old is auditioning for the club “again.”

Whether it’s Pryor’s first or second tryout for Seattle, it’s clear the team is interested in seeing what he can do as a wideout. While he didn’t last long on the Browns’ roster, Pryor has enough speed and athleticism to make him an interesting – albeit raw – project, so we’ll see whether or not the Seahawks decide to take a flier on him.

In the meantime, let’s check in on some other items from around the league….

  • The idea that the Jets would sign both Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson to blockbuster deals “has always been a fairytale,” writes Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News. Although he cautions that the team hasn’t given up on the idea of negotiating a multiyear extension for Wilkerson, Mehta suggests that perhaps the standout defensive lineman could be franchised in 2016 and then used a trade chip to try to move up in the draft to land a franchise quarterback.
  • It’s probably too early to start talking about Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin being on the hot seat, but defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle may not last much longer in Miami if the club’s poor defensive play continues, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link).
  • Player agent Todd France has officially joined CAA Sports, bringing approximately 50 NFL clients with him, writes Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal. Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas and Bills defensive lineman Marcell Dareus are among France’s clients who got lucrative, long-term contracts this year.

Extra Points: Cowboys, Brees, Pryor, Hampton

September 22nd, 2015 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, former NFL receiver Terrell Owens said he and his agent had contacted the Cowboys to let them know that the former Pro Bowler would be an option if the team was interested in his services. Of course, at age 41, Owens knows he probably won’t get a call from Jerry Jones, but the former Cowboy says he’d love the chance to play for the team again, after things didn’t go totally smoothly the last time.

“We all know what happened when I was there, and there were some things said where it kind of maybe fractured the relationship between myself and [Jason] Witten and [Tony] Romo,” Owens said, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “Time has passed, and hopefully, they know that I’ve moved on beyond that. Maybe, hopefully, they have. But for me, it’s all about giving myself an opportunity. That’s all I ever really wanted.”

As Owens waits on that opportunity that almost certainly isn’t coming, let’s round up some more odds and ends from around the NFL…

  • Dr. James Andrews confirmed today that Saints quarterback Drew Brees doesn’t have a tear in the rotator cuff of his throwing shoulder, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Brees’ official status is still up in the air, but he’ll make a push to try to play in Week 3 for New Orleans.
  • Last night, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweeted that quarterback-turned-wide-receiver Terrelle Pryor was set to visit the Seahawks on Tuesday. However, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post says (via Twitter) that the Jets are working out the former Brown today. While Pryor’s schedule isn’t exactly clear, it appears he’ll audition for both the Seahawks and Jets this week.
  • Free agent cornerback Victor Hampton, who last played for the Ravens, has been suspended for two weeks by the NFL, stemming from a DUI arrest, tweets Wilson. Hampton, who also spent time with the Giants last year, has yet to play in a regular season game, and likely won’t do so anytime soon now that he has run into off-field trouble.
  • Wilson also passes along updates on a couple workouts, reporting (via Twitter) that the Jets are auditioning former Ravens quarterback Bryn Renner, while the Broncos are taking a look at ex-Falcons tackle Matt Huffer.
  • After playing without representation for some time, Washington running back Alfred Morris, who is in a contract year, has hired agent Sean Stellato of SES Sports, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a look at a few players who improved their stocks with their performances over the weekend, as well as those whose play had a negative impact on their value. Unsurprisingly, Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is among the players who saw his stock drop a little in Week 2, according to Fitzgerald.
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