HEADLINES

Tim Hightower

Saints Place Rafael Bush On IR

September 15th, 2015 at 7:26pm CST by Zachary Links

The Saints have placed safety Rafael Bush on IR with a torn pectoral muscle, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Saints have also terminated the contract of running back Tim Hightower, who was just re-added to roster yesterday, Evan Woodbery of The Times-Picayune tweets.

Bush, 28, was acquired by the Saints in 2012 when he was claimed off waivers from the Broncos. He played in ten games in 2014 (seven starts) before his season ended with a fractured tibia.

The good news with Hightower is that Woodbery (Twitter link) hears that this won’t be the end of the road for his comeback. The running back apparently suffered a minor injury and he plans to be back soon. Woodbery adds that he hopes to return to the Saints.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/14/15

September 14th, 2015 at 8:40pm CST by Zachary Links

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

  • The Packers have removed wide receiver Larry Pinkard from their IR with an injury settlement, and the Chiefs have done the same with tight end Richard Gordon, per Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

  • Not long after claiming him off waivers from the Bears, the Cowboys have cut offensive tackle Jordan Mills, according to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (via Twitter). Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com (Twitter link), taking Mills’ spot on the roster is another offensive tackle, Charles Brown, who worked out for Dallas last week.
  • The Bears have made a change on defense, re-signing outside linebacker Sam Acho and placing defensive end Cornelius Washington on injured reserve, according to Caplan (Twitter links). Acho was cut by Chicago on Saturday with a non-football illness designation, but it didn’t take him long to make his way back to the roster.
  • The Saints are signing safety Kenny Phillips, according to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Phillips was with New Orleans all summer before being released last week as a late cut. After free safety Rafael Bush suffered a chest injury on Sunday, Phillips will help provide New Orleans with additional depth.
  • The Saints have also re-signed two players they cut on Saturday, adding running back Tim Hightower and offensive lineman Mike McGlynn back to their roster, tweets Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune. New Orleans waived fullback Toben Opurum and wide receiver Seantavius Jones to accommodate the returning players.
  • In a reversal of the team’s weekend transactions, Washington signed defensive end Frank Kearse and cut linebacker Houston Bates, as John Keim of ESPN.com writes.
  • The Jets have officially activated backup offensive lineman Oday Aboushi from their reserve/suspended list after he missed Week 1 due to a substance abuse violation, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com. For now, the Jets have a roster exemption for Aboushi, but they’ll have to decide this week whether to cut him or to move him to their 53-man roster, removing someone else.
  • According to Caplan (Twitter links), the Raiders have released safety Brandian Ross off their injured reserve list, and the Lions have done the same with wide receiver Greg Salas, giving him an injury settlement.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/12/15

September 12th, 2015 at 9:06pm CST by Sam Robinson

Latest minor moves:

  • The Eagles released wideout Jeff Maehl with an injury settlement, according to ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter).
  • As mentioned below, the Saints placed LB Davis Tull on IR on Saturday. The reason is now known: Tull has a left shoulder tear. It’s unrelated to earlier labrum surgery he had on his right shoulder. (Twitter link via Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com).

Earlier:

  • In opening a spot for Bates, Washington cut defensive end Frank Kearse, per Zac Boyer of the Washington Times (via Twitter). Kearse, the fifth defensive end on Washington’s depth chart, has played in 29 career games and started eight since entering the league in 2011 as a seventh-round pick of the Dolphins. He’s accrued 4.5 career sacks. Boyer notes (on Twitter) Kearse dealt with a shoulder injury since training camp. He played 15 games for Washington last year.
  • To make room for Seantavius Jones, Opurum and defensive back Don Jones, who joins his practice squad teammates in receiving weekend promotions to the active roster, the Saints cut Tim Hightower and guard Mike McGlynn, and placed rookie linebacker Davis Tull on injured reserve, Evan Woodberry of NOLA.com reports. McGlynn, dubbed the worst guard in football in two of the past three seasons as a member of the Colts and Chiefs, was not going to be active Sunday, and New Orleans needs special teams contributors, reports Woodberry (on Twitter). Hightower was serving as the Saints’ third-string running back in C.J. Spiller‘s absence.
  • In bringing LeGarrette Blount back to the 53-man roster after his one-game suspension, the Patriots waived linebacker Eric Martin, per Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Martin played on special teams for New England in its season-opening win over Pittsburgh.
  • New Orleans added a second player from its practice squad to the active roster in promoting fullback Toben Opurum, according to Woodberry. The Saints, notes Woodberry (on Twitter), are stockpiling special-teamers, with five of their own talents out due to injuries.
  • The Saints are promoting wideout Seantavius Jones to the active roster, reports Katherine Terrell of NOLA.com. Terrell notes Jones will likely play as the team’s fifth receiver with a special teams role. A corresponding roster move hasn’t been announced.
  • Washington will promote outside linebacker Houston Bates off its practice squad for Week 1 due to the team having concerns about Jackson Jeffcoat‘s thigh ailment, according to Boyer (on Twitter). Boyer looks to serve as the backup to Trent Murphy on the right side after being one of the team’s last cuts this preseason, joining Washington as an undrafted free agent from Louisiana Tech.
  • The Browns are promoting Shaun Draughn to their active roster from their practice squad, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The 27-year-old Draughn played 16 games for the Chiefs in 2012, rushing for 233 yards. He’ll sit behind Isaiah Crowell, Duke Johnson and Robert Turbin on the depth chart.
  • The Texans agreed to injury settlements with outside backers Lynden Trail and Tony Washington to take them off injured reserve, Wilson reports. Both undrafted rookies, Trail’s preseason ended after a quadriceps injury, with Washington’s concluding after a chest malady in the team’s preseason finale.

Sean Payton: Marcus Murphy “Making This Team”

August 30th, 2015 at 7:22pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Saints have a very crowded backfield attempting to make the 53-man roster, and seventh-round pick Marcus Murphy has made his mark on the head coach during the preseason, as Sean Payton made a definitive statement about his status.

In response to a question, Payton responded talking about Murphy, writes Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter). “He’s making this team,” said the Saints coach.

If Payton is to be believed, and there is no reason he shouldn’t be, that would put Murphy squarely in the role of fourth running back. He won’t necessarily see the field much on offense, but he will handle returning duties for New Orleans. That kind of faith has written the book for some of the other tailbacks competing for a spot on the depth chart.

 

Mark Ingram is ingrained as the starter, and C.J. Spiller is expected to make the team as a notable free agent acquisition this offseason. Khiry Robinson looked like a good bet to make the team as a spell back, and he performed well when called upon the past two seasons.

That leaves Tim Hightower and Edwin Baker on the outside looking in. Both players have performed well this preseason, with the veteran Hightower impressing early in training camp with his abilities as a runner, receiver, and pass protector. The former Cardinal has struggled with injures, and if the Saints pass could be looking at his NFL mortality.

Baker scored a 45-yard touchdown in the preseason game today, which unfortunately for Payton led to a question about his chances of making the team. Payton misunderstood, leading to the statement about Murphy, according to Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com (via Twitter). He embarrassingly realized this later, and had to backtrack because it is highly unlikely Baker makes the team (via Twitter).

Saints Sign Tim Hightower To Reserve/Futures

January 4th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Saints have signed former Cardinals’ and Washington running back Tim Hightower to a reserve/futures contract, reports Mike Triplett of ESPN (via Twitter). Hightower suffered an ACL injury in 2011, and hasn’t played in the NFL since, according to Evan Woodbery of NOLA.com (via Twitter).

Triplett noted that it hasn’t been the recovery of the actual injury that has kept Hightower away from football, but rather his health troubles are due to an infection that has lingered during his recovery.

Since joining the league in 2008, Hightower has enjoyed moderate success in limited playing time. He averaged less than 150 carries per year during his three full seasons in Arizona, never missing a single game during his time with the team. He was effective in finding the endzone, scoring 23 touchdowns over that span. He added another two touchdowns in Washington, but only made it through five games with the team before getting injured.

The Saints worked out Hightower in November, but ultimately decided to sign veteran Brian Leonard instead, according to Triplett (via Twitter).

Just because the team has added Hightower does not change the status of free agent Mark Ingram. Larry Holder of NOLA.com notes that Hightower is no guarantee (via Twitter).

Triplett believes there is a chance that Ingram will leave the team, but notes that Hightower’s presence on the roster will have no bearing on the Saints’ decision at all (via Twitter).

Workout Notes: Tuesday

November 11th, 2014 at 6:13pm CST by Zachary Links

We’ll keep track of today’s workouts and visits here..

  • The Colts worked out notable kick returner Josh Cribbs, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). Cribbs is the NFL’s all-time co-leader in kickoff returns for touchdowns with eight.
  • The Titans worked out former Packers first round pick Derek Sherrod, Yates tweets. The offensive tackle was cut by the Packers late last month.
  • The Panthers also auditioned Sherrod and Kevin Greene, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post tweets.
  • Defensive tackle Fred Evans tried out for the Seahawks, according to Howard Balzer of USA Today (on Twitter).
  • The Saints tried out safeties M.D. Jennings and Kenny Phillips, according to Balzer (on Twitter). Jamarca Sanford was signed earlier today, so Jennings and Phillips probably won’t be coming to New Orleans.
  • The Saints also auditioned running backs Andre Brown, Tim Hightower, Mikel LeShoure, and Rutgers alum Brian Leonard, according to Yates (via Mike Triplett on Twitter).
  • The Packers looked at defensive tackle Kenny Horsley, safety Kimario McFadden, and linebacker Chaz Sutton, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets.
  • The Falcons are working out former Utah State center Tyler Larsen today, a league source tells Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
  • The Dolphins worked out Jonte Green, Wilson tweets.
  • The Seahawks worked out running backs Johri Fogerson, Stanley Havili, and Karl Williams, Wilson tweets.
  • The Titans worked out tight end Dorin Dickerson today, Wilson tweets. The Titans removed him from the IR with an injury settlement in August.

East Notes: Pryor, Jets, Patriots, Pierre-Paul

November 4th, 2014 at 8:51pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Earlier today, Washington became the latest team to have free agent quarterback Terrelle Pryor in for a workout, according to Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. The club now has a fully healthy group of signal-callers in Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy, and Kirk Cousins, so it appears to be an unlikely landing spot for Pryor. Running backs Tim Hightower and Jeff Demps were also among the free agents whom Washington auditioned today, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The club worked out nine more players, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk provides a full list: tight end Chase Dixon, tight end D.C. Jefferson, safety Ahmad Black, defensive tackle Lanier Coleman, tackle Chris Faulk, tight end Tyler George, defensive end Donte Paige-Moss, defensive tackle Justin Renfrow, and safety Nickoe Whitley. Here’s more from the NFL’s two East divisions.

  • The Jets’ plan to rely on second-year player Dee Milliner, rookie Dexter McDougle, and mediocre free agent Dimitri Patterson as their primary corners was flawed from the beginning, writes Brian Costello of the New York Post. Milliner and McDougle both suffered serious injuries, while Patterson went AWOL during the preseason and was released.
  • The Jets worked out linebacker Shayne Skov today, tweets Costello. Skov, a 2014 undrafted free agent, has worked out for the Chargers and Texans in recent days after spending time with the 49ers and Buccaneers earlier this year.
  • The Patriots also brought in several players for tryouts today, writes Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, who identifies kickers Dave Teggart and Zach Hocker, long snappers Charley Hughlett and Patrick Scales, punter Cody Mandell, and quarterback Garrett Gilbert as having auditioned for New England.
  • Responding to a reader’s Twitter question, Jordan Raanan of the Star-Ledger gave defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul a 55% chance of returning to the Giants next season. Pierre-Paul is having a solid season as he approaches free agency — though he has only 3.5 sacks, he’s graded as the league’s third-best 4-3 defensive end among 54 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). PFF’s metrics rate the 25-year-old as the best run defender at his position by far; his +17.1 grade against the run is nearly double that of Derek Wolfe, the No. 2 finisher.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

East Notes: Barbre, Pryor, Colon

July 27th, 2014 at 9:49am CST by Rory Parks

We learned yesterday in a series of Twitter posts that Eagles‘ offensive lineman Allen Barbre would be given the first opportunity to replace suspended right tackle Lane Johnson but that Barbre would be pushing for more playing time even if Johnson had never been suspended. Today, Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com and Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer flesh out those thoughts in full articles, noting that Barbre’s strong performance as a reserve in 2013 and the three-year extension he signed last month suggest that he may remain a starter somewhere on the line–he has more experience on the left side than the right–even when Johnson returns.

Now for some more notes from the league’s east divisions:

  • Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes that the only real positional battle in Eagles‘ camp this year is between Nate Allen and Earl Wolff at strong safety.
  • John Keim of ESPN.com writes that former Redskins running back Tim Hightower was in attendance at Redskins practice on Saturday and would like to return to the league.
  • We also learned yesterday that Jets‘ rookie Calvin Pryor suffered a head injury and possible concussion during practice. Although Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com writes that it was a good sign that Pryor returned to the field on Saturday to watch the remainder of practice, Brian Costello of The New York Post tweets that there was no sign of him when practice began this morning. Costello also tweeted that, since the team will not hold practice tomorrow, it makes senses to give Pryor two consecutive days of rest as a precaution.
  • In better news for the Jets, Costello tweets that Willie Colon is in full pads and appears to be ready to play.
  • Ben Volin of The Boston Globe writes that, despite all the hype that comes with every training camp, the only real goal for the Patriots this summer is to stay healthy.
  • Mark Gaughan of The Buffalo News writes that the battle between Chris Hairston and Kraig Urbik for the Bills’ starting right guard spot will be an intriguing one to keep an eye on as training camp unfolds.