HEADLINES

Thomas Rawls

Cardinals Audition Alfred Morris

September 17th, 2019 at 8:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

David Johnson suffered a wrist injury in the Cardinals’ Week 2 loss, and although the standout running back returned to action, the Cards are gathering some intel for a possible in-case-of-emergency scenario.

Arizona worked out Alfred Morris, Thomas Rawls and Zach Zenner on Tuesday, ESPN.com’s Field Yates and veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer report (Twitter links). The team also auditioned tight end Luke Willson.

Morris reunited with the Cowboys, but Ezekiel Elliott‘s holdout coming to an end prompted them to part ways with the veteran back. Morris, 30, played 12 games with the 49ers last season. Rawls last held a notable role with the 2016 Seahawks; he’s since bounced around. Zenner averaged 4.8 yards per carry last season and re-signed with the Lions in March. However, he did not make their 53-man roster.

Kliff Kingsbury‘s Cardinals have lapped the field in terms of 10 personnel usage — four wideouts, one running back — and have not used tight ends Charles Clay or Maxx Williams much. But the team auditioned Willson, Thomas Duarte and Jason Vander Laan anyway. Willson played 14 games for the 2018 Lions but did not make the Raiders’ roster this summer.

Jaguars Sign RB Thomas Rawls

January 9th, 2019 at 10:00am CST by Zachary Links

Running back Thomas Rawls has signed a futures deal with the Jaguars, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). Rawls, who previously spent time with the Bengals and Seahawks, could help fortify Jacksonville’s depth. 

Rawls had 830 yards as a Seahawks rookie in 2015 and the league is still waiting on a revival. He averaged just 3.0 yards per carry for Seattle between 2016 and 2017 and was unable to make the Jets’ final cut last offseason. He hooked on with the Bengals soon after, but only dressed for one game and did not register a carry.

Reserve/futures contract deals will go into effect on the first day of the 2019 league year, with players joining their respective clubs’ offseason 90-man rosters. These are low-cost and low-risk deals, so the Jaguars could easily drop Rawls between now and March if they have a change of heart. If he stays on the offseason roster, there’s no assurance that he’ll make the final cut in the fall.

NFL Workout Updates: 11/12/18

November 12th, 2018 at 9:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Here are today’s tryouts:

Buffalo Bills:

Carolina Panthers:

Cleveland Browns:

  • T Chris Durant; DB John Franklin III, CB Josh Thornton

Green Bay Packers:

Houston Texans:

Indianapolis Colts:

  • G David Bright; LB Kennan Gilchrist; S Terrell Williams

New York Jets:

 

 

Colts Work Out Junior Galette, Thomas Rawls

October 15th, 2018 at 3:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

Junior Galette‘s spent the first six games of the season as a free agent, publicly lamenting his misstep in spurning a Redskins offer earlier this offseason.

The Colts are taking a look at the veteran edge defender, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter), while also examining Thomas Rawls.

Galette previously auditioned for the Rams, but the edge rusher-thin juggernaut opted not to sign him over the summer. He missed all of the 2015 and ’16 seasons because of preseason injuries but returned last year to play in 16 games for Washington. The 30-year-old defender best known for delivering back-to-back 10-plus-sack seasons with the Saints — in 2013-14 — registered three sacks last season.

The Colts have received some unexpected pass-rushing contributions this season. Linebacker Darius Leonard and suddenly rejuvenated defensive end Margus Hunt each have four sacks for Indianapolis, with young journeyman Jihad Ward registering three. Jabaal Sheard also has three sacks for the Colts. However, Indianapolis was without both Hunt and Denico Autry (two sacks) on Sunday.

Rawls played in one game this season, with the Bengals, but has not been able to re-establish his career away from Seattle.

NFL Workout Updates: 10/12/18

October 12th, 2018 at 4:23pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Today’s workout updates, with all links going to veteran NFL reporter Howard Balzer’s Twitter account unless otherwise noted:

Chicago Bears

  • P Brock Miller (link)

Houston Texans

  • OT Dieugot Joseph (link)

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • OT Corey Robinson; RB Thomas Rawls (link)

New England Patriots

  • DE Will Clarke; QB Connor Cook; LB Kasim Edebali; WR Devin Ross; TE Shane Wimann (link)

Tennessee Titans

  • LS’s Andrew East, Taybor Pepper (link)

Overall, nothing too noteworthy. The Patriots interestingly continue to work out quarterbacks, bringing in former Raiders third-rounder Connor Cook for a tryout. New England has Bryan Hoyer firmly entrenched behind Tom Brady, but also recently worked out Landry Jones.

Meanwhile, the Titans seem set to bring in a new long snapper, as the team also worked out veteran Jon Condo today.

Bengals Waive RB Thomas Rawls

October 9th, 2018 at 2:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have waived running back Thomas Rawls, according to a team announcement. Rawls signed with the Bengals on Sept. 19 but lasted less than a month with the club. 

Although Rawls was on the Bengals’ roster for multiple weeks, he was only on the active roster for their Week 5 win over the Dolphins. He did not touch the football in that game or record an official statistic.

Rawls spent the offseason with the Jets and many believed that he would wind up as active participant in their running back committee. However, he was bounced during the club’s final cuts. Rawls had 830 yards as a Seahawks rookie in 2015, but hasn’t done much since then.

The release of Rawls is a good indication that backup Giovani Bernard is nearing his return from a sprained MCL. Bernard is expected to miss Sunday’s showdown with the Steelers, but a return on Oct. 21 against the Chiefs remains possible.

Bengals Sign RB Thomas Rawls

September 19th, 2018 at 10:47am CST by Zachary Links

The Bengals have signed running back Thomas Rawls, according to a club announcement. To make room, fellow running back Tra Carson has been waived/injured. 

Rawls spent the offseason with the Jets and many believed that he would emerge as an active participant in their running back committee. However, he was bounced during the club’s final cuts, and placed back on the free agent pile. Rawls flashed as a rookie with the Seahawks, amassing 830 yards in 2015. Unfortunately, he hasn’t done much in the last two years, so he’s looking to prove himself all over again.

Rawls will provide the Bengals with depth at running back while Joe Mixon heals up from a knee issue. In the interim, Giovani Bernard is expected to serve as the lead back with fourth-round pick Mark Walton as his primary understudy.

AFC North Notes: Browns, Steelers, Ravens

September 18th, 2018 at 9:57pm CST by Sam Robinson

Prior to the Browns waiving kicker Zane Gonzalez, Hue Jackson did not know the second-year specialist was dealing with a groin injury. The third-year Browns HC (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk) said he knew “nothing about an injury whatsoever” and that no one from the Browns’ medical department told him Gonzalez was hurt, which could set up for an interesting situation as Cleveland pivots to another kicker. It hasn’t been reported that Gonzalez was waived with an injury designation, and Florio posits an injury grievance from Gonzalez could be in the cards. Gonzalez’s groin malady required an MRI, but he still attempted a 52-yard field goal in the final seconds Sunday. This information also doesn’t put Jackson in an especially positive light, given Gonzalez’s struggles on Sunday — ones that led directly to Cleveland’s 21-18 loss.

Shifting from a player the Browns just cut to one they opted not to draft, here’s the latest from the AFC North:

  • Sam Darnold did his best to not offer much regarding his draft-night mindset, but he did say he expected the Browns to take him at No. 1 due to the amount of time John Dorsey and Co. spent with him leading into the draft, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com notes. The Browns spent time with all four of the top quarterback prospects before narrowing their decision to Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen. “We spent time with (Darnold) and his family, and obviously, every quarterback. We feel very comfortable with the guy that we selected in Baker, and I’m sure they do with him,” Jackson said. “He’s a fine prospect and is going to be a fine player. I think they got a good one, but we feel we have a really good one, too.”
  • The Ravens are not counting on having C.J. Mosley available for their Week 3 game against the Broncos, David Ginsburg of the Associated Press notes. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker suffered a bruised left knee in Baltimore’s loss in Cincinnati. Rookie Kenny Young and Patrick Onwuasor were called to action in place of Mosley, who’s only missed two games (both in 2016) in his career. A fourth-round pick, Young looks like the Sunday starter, per Ginsburg.
  • Broncos rookie UDFA Phillip Lindsay sits third among the league’s rushing leaders going into Week 3’s Baltimore trip, and Nicki Jhabvala of The Athletic tweets the Colorado product narrowed his post-draft choices to the Broncos and Ravens. Lindsay (178 rushing yards on 6.1 per carry) is part of a two-rookie backfield in Denver. The Ravens opted to retain their status quo at running back, with Alex Collins, Kenneth Dixon and Javorius Allen back.
  • Allen is now on IR, though the Ravens would’ve preferred to keep both he and cornerback Maurice Canady on their active roster rather than shelve them for at least two months, Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic notes. Neither’s injury is a season-ending setback, and Dixon is a candidate to return from IR later in the season.
  • Le’Veon Bell‘s agent, Adisa Bakari, attended the Steelers‘ season-opening tie in Cleveland, and Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes the vibe between he and Steelers brass wasn’t particularly uncomfortable. Bakari also represents Tyrod Taylor. Nothing on the Bell front’s transpired in several days, and Pittsburgh’s bracing for a long absence.
  • Mike Tomlin expressed frustration with punter Jordan Berry, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly (on Twitter), and he may be on the verge of losing his job. The Steelers brought in free agent punters Jeff Locke and Justin Vogel for workouts today, Kaboly tweets. Berry’s been Pittsburgh’s punter since 2015, and the Steelers signed him to an extension in February.
  • With Joe Mixon out for a bit, the Bengals brought in a host of running backs for Tuesday workouts. Thomas Rawls, Fitzgerald Toussaint, Troymaine Pope and Matthew Dayes trekked to Cincinnati for auditions, Sirius XM’s Adam Caplan tweets.

Jets Cut Thomas Rawls, Charcandick West

September 1st, 2018 at 7:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Jets have become the latest team to move to 53 players, and did so by making the following transactions:

Waived:

Released:

Placed on suspended list:

Placed on PUP:

Rawls, 25, first entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2015 with the Seahawks and broke out immediately when Marshawn Lynch was sidelined with an abdomen injury. In his very first start for Seattle, Rawls amassed 104 yards off of 16 carries and later turned in a 209-yard game. Things trailed off after that, however. He missed significant time in 2016 with a fractured fibula and became an afterthought in 2017. Rawls initially seemed to have a good chance at making the Jets’ roster in 2018, but he was unable to find a place behind top RBs Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell.

West was also fighting for a supporting RB job, and his limited highlight reel with the Chiefs suggested that he had a puncher’s chance to make the roster. West missed most of KC’s camp this year with a concussion and hooked on with the Jets a little over one week ago. Crowell also missed time with a concussion and reserve Elijah McGuire was dealing with a broken foot, but West still couldn’t make enough of an impression on coaches in such a short period of time.

AFC East Notes: Pats, Decker, Bills, Fins, Jets

August 5th, 2018 at 4:44pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Patriots signed veteran wideout Eric Decker to a one-year deal last week, but New England actually had its eyes on Decker as early as the 2010 draft, as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com explains. Decker was “squarely in [the Patriots’] sights” at pick No. 90 in that draft, but the Minnesota product ended up going off the board three picks earlier to the Broncos, who at that time were lead by now-New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. After recording 54 receptions for 563 yards a season ago, Decker has effectively replaced Jordan Matthews as the Patriots’ slot receiver, at least until Julian Edelman returns from suspension. Decker received only $75K in guaranteed money, however, so he’s far from a roster lock in New England.

Here’s more from the AFC East:

  • Bills receiver Zay Jones has been activated off the active/non-football injury list, but was wearing a red contact jersey during his first day back at practice, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WKBW. Jones underwent knee surgery in May and missed Buffalo’s offseason program, but the club has expressed hope that Jones — who was selected in the second round of the 2017 draft — will be ready for the regular season. After an offseason which included not only an operation but a bizarre arrest, the Bills have been adamant that Jones won’t be handed a starting spot. Buffalo’s wideout depth chart is among the worst in the league, though, so it will be surprising if Jones isn’t lining up opposite Kelvin Benjamin as the Bills’ No. 2 pass-catcher.
  • After being traded from the Saints to the Dolphins last season, linebacker Stephone Anthony appears set to open the 2018 campaign as a starting outside linebacker, Andre Fernandez of the Miami Herald writes. Anthony has disappointed in four NFL seasons after being chosen as a first-round pick, and the Dolphins subsequently declined his fifth-year option for the 2019 season. That would have paid Anthony nearly $10MM next year, but as Fernandez details, Miami could conceivably extend Anthony if he succeeds this season.
  • Veteran Thomas Rawls is now a legitimate candidate for the Jets‘ third running back job after Elijah McGuire suffered a broken foot, according to Brian Costello of the New York Post. McGuire is expected to be sidelined for three-to-six weeks, so Rawls is now competing with Trenton Cannon and George Atkinson for the right to play behind Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell. Rawls, of course, was a revelation in limited duty during the 2015 season, averaging 5.6 yards per carry on 147 rushes. In the years since, however, Rawls has been beset by injuries, and wasn’t tendered as a Seahawks restricted free agent earlier this year.
  • The Jets recently expanded their analytics department by hiring former scout Brian Shields as a senior manager of football research, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. That’s a new role within the New York front office, per Cimini, who indicates general manager Mike Maccagnan is becoming more open to the use of analytics in the NFL.
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