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Tim Wright

Lions Waive Tim Wright

May 28th, 2016 at 11:35am CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 11:35am: The organization has officially waived Wright, according to the team’s transaction log.

THURSDAY, 3:34pm: The Lions have waived/injured tight end Tim Wright, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter). Wright was acquired by Detroit last August via trade from the Buccaneers and re-signed this March."<strong

[RELATED: Lions’ Ameer Abdullah Has Shoulder Surgery]

Wright, 26, made his NFL mark in 2013 with an impressive rookie year, racking up 54 receptions, 571 yards, and five touchdowns for the Buccaneers. However, he has changed teams twice since then – first traded to New England, then claimed off waivers by Detroit – and has seen his role reduced along the way. In 2015, he caught just nine balls for 77 yards and two TDs for the Lions.

While financial terms of Wright’s March agreement were not disclosed, we do know that he was eligible for restricted free agency this offseason, and wasn’t offered a contract tender by the Lions. A low-end RFA tender would have been worth $1.671MM, so it’s reasonable to assume that his one-year deal was worth less than that — likely for the minimum salary, or close to it.

With Wright out of the picture, the Lions now have five tight ends on the depth chart:Eric Ebron, Brandon Pettigrew, and Matthew Mulligan plus rookies Adam Fuehne and Cole Wick.

Wright was expected to have the opportunity to earn a roster spot and possibly compete for playing time for Detroit in 2016. Now, he’ll try to do the same thing with a new team – once he gets healthy.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Lions Re-Sign TE Tim Wright

March 14th, 2016 at 12:17pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lions have re-signed free agent tight end Tim Wright to a new deal, the team announced today in a press release. Jenna Lane of SportsTalk Florida tweets that it’s a one-year contract.Tim Wright

While financial terms of the agreement aren’t yet known, Wright had been eligible for restricted free agency this offeason, and wasn’t offered a contract tender by the Lions. A low-end RFA tender would have been worth $1.671MM, so it’s reasonable to assume that his new one-year deal is worth less than that — it’s likely for the minimum salary, or close to it.

Wright, who turns 26 next month, broke into the NFL scene in 2013 with an impressive rookie year, racking up 54 receptions, 571 yards, and five touchdowns for the Buccaneers. However, he has changed teams twice since then – first traded to New England, then claimed off waivers by Detroit – and has seen his role reduced along the way. In 2015, he caught just nine balls for 77 yards and two TDs for the Lions.

Wright will have the opportunity to earn a roster spot and possibly compete for playing time for Detroit in 2016.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

RFA Tender Decisions: 3/9/16

March 9th, 2016 at 9:10pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Unrestricted free agent news will obviously dominate the day, but several clubs also had to make decisions on whether to offer tenders to restricted free agents. We’ll round up those decisions here:

Tendered

Non-Tendered

Lions To Acquire Tim Wright, Cut Ryan Broyles

August 31st, 2015 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

9:06am: The Lions are sending kicker Kyle Brindza to Tampa Bay in the deal for Wright, tweets Field Yates of ESPN.com.

8:18am: For the second consecutive August, the Buccaneers have decided to trade tight end Tim Wright, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, who tweets that Tampa Bay is sending Wright to the Lions. A year ago, the Bucs sent Wright to New England in a swap for Logan Mankins.

Playing behind Rob Gronkowski on the Patriots’ depth chart in 2014, Wright grabbed 26 balls for 259 yards and six touchdowns, receiving far fewer targets than he did in his 2013 rookie campaign with Tampa Bay. In ’13, Wright recorded 54 receptions on 76 targets.

New England moved on from Wright in June, and when the young tight end hit waivers, 10 teams – including the Lions – placed waiver claims on him, with the Bucs getting him back. In Detroit, Wright will join a group of tight ends that includes Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron, and Joseph Fauria.

Meanwhile, another Lions pass-catcher, former second-round pick Ryan Broyles, will be waived after requesting his release from the team, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. According to Birkett, Broyles’ decision to ask to be let go was solidified after he played just 16 snaps during Detroit’s Friday win over Jacksonville, which was the latest sign that he likely wouldn’t make the team’s 53-man roster.

Since joining the Lions in 2012, Broyles has totaled just 420 yards and two touchdowns on 32 catches, with the majority of those catches and yards coming in his rookie year. He’ll have to pass through waivers unclaimed to become an unrestricted free agent.

Ten Teams Placed Claims On Tim Wright

June 15th, 2015 at 8:48am CST by Luke Adams

Tim Wright returned to his old team last week, when the tight end, having been cut by New England, landed with the Buccaneers, who have the NFL’s No. 1 waiver priority this offseason. However, Tampa Bay was far from the only club to place a claim on Wright. According to Field Yates of ESPN.com (via Twitter), nine other teams – 10 in total – submitted claims for the former Patriot.

Besides the Buccaneers, the teams that tried to land Wright before he reached free agency were the Jets, Bears, Falcons, Browns, Saints, Dolphins, Chiefs, Steelers, and Lions, says Yates. Most of those clubs have somewhat uncertain tight end situations — for instance, the Browns and Saints recently lost Jordan Cameron and Jimmy Graham, respectively, and the Bears aren’t sure when Martellus Bennett will report to the team.

The myriad suitors for Wright makes it even more surprising that the Patriots simply waived him last week. The young tight end just turned 25, and had racked up 80 receptions, including 11 touchdowns, in his first two years in the NFL. With Scott Chandler now in New England, Wright may not have fit into the team’s future plans, but the number of waiver claims placed for him suggests that the Pats might have been able to squeeze at least a late-round pick out of an interested club.

The Bucs have taken advantage of their top waiver priority multiple times so far this offseason, with the addition of Wright simply acting as the latest example. Tampa Bay also added former Browns punter Spencer Lanning via waivers last week, and claimed veteran safety D.J. Swearinger back in May.

Minor Moves: Friday

June 12th, 2015 at 8:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are Friday’s minor transactions from around the NFL:

  • The Lions claimed quarterback Garrett Gilbert from the Patriots earlier today, reports Howard Balzer of LockerDome.com (via Twitter). The team released quarterback Anthony Boone, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (via Twitter).
  • The Seahawks have signed wide receiver Kasen Williams, according to John Boyle of Seahawks.com (via Twitter). The team waived linebacker Mister Alexander to make room for Williams, who announced the signing on his Instagram account.
  • Wide receiver Zach D’Orazio was waived by the Patriots, and passed through waivers unclaimed, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter).
  • While the Buccaneers might have landed recently released tight end Tim Wright, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports is interested to see the full list of teams who put in waiver claims for him (via Twitter). He adds that the Jets were one team that did.
  • In order for the Buccaneers to make room for Wright on the roster, the team has waived tight end Taylor Sloat, according to Jenna Laine of SportsTalkFlorida.com (via Twitter).
  • The Jets have signed former USC Trojan and Saints offensive tackle Charles Brown after they wrapped up their full-squad minicamp, reports Randy Lange of NewYorkJets.com. The team cut offensive tackle Sean Hooey to make room for the former second-round pick.
  • Hooey wouldn’t be unemployed for very long, as the 49ers claimed him off waivers from the Jets, according to Wilson (via Twitter).

Buccaneers Claim Tim Wright

June 12th, 2015 at 3:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Less than a year after trading him to the Patriots, the Buccaneers have re-acquired tight end Tim Wright, the team announced today in a press release. The Bucs have the No. 1 waiver priority in the NFL this offseason, and placed a claim on Wright after he was cut yesterday by New England.

Wright, 25, grabbed 54 balls for 571 yards and five touchdowns for the Bucs in his rookie season in 2013. However, after drafting Austin Seferian-Jenkins and signing Brandon Myers, the Bucs took advantage of their depth at tight end, sending Wright to the Pats in a deal for veteran guard Logan Mankins.

In New England, Wright didn’t come close to matching his 2013 totals, totaling just 26 receptions for 259 yards, though six of those catches went for TDs. His individual numbers were still more impressive than those compiled by Seferian-Jenkins and Myers in Tampa Bay — the duo combined for just 43 catches, 411 yards, and two touchdowns.

The claim on Wright is the second time this week that the Bucs have taken advantage of their top waiver priority. The club also added former Browns punter Spencer Lanning via waivers, and claimed veteran safety D.J. Swearinger a month ago.

Patriots Release Tim Wright

June 11th, 2015 at 9:10am CST by Zachary Links

The Patriots have released tight end Tim Wright, according to Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe (on Twitter). Wright came to the Patriots last year as a part of the Logan Mankins deal with the Buccaneers. Wright will now be subject to waivers and, ironically, it’s the Bucs that hold No. 1 waiver priority.

The Patriots likely felt that Wright’s role on the team can be filled by offseason pickup Scott Chandler. They also have another notable in Fred Davis on the depth chart, further squeezing Wright out of the picture. Former edge rusher Jake Bequette and sixth-round choice A.J. Derby are below Rob Gronkowski, Michael Hoomanawanui, Chandler, and Davis at tight end.

Wright burst on to the scene in his rookie year with the Bucs when he hauled in 54 catches and five touchdowns. Last season, he caught 26 passes for 259 yards, but didn’t do a whole lot down the stretch of the regular season and didn’t record a reception in the playoffs.

Poll: Best Post-Draft Trade Acquisition

January 24th, 2015 at 8:33pm CST by Ben Levine

There have been a number of NFL trades since the 2014 NFL Draft ended in May, with 13 players and 11 future draft picks switching teams. The Patriots were the most active on the trade market, participating in five deals, while the Buccaneers ultimately made three trades, including a pair with New England.

Let’s quickly remind ourselves of the trades made post-2014 NFL draft…

A couple of the players acquired in these trades had little impact on their new squads. Neither Justin Green or Ben Bass played a snap this season, while T.J. Yates only threw four attempts serving as Matt Ryan‘s backup. Ryan Mallett‘s opportunity as the Texans quarterback only lasted 158 snaps, while Mark Barron Jonathan Casillas, and Akeem Dent primarily served in backup/platoon roles with their new squads.

That leaves six players who played more than 300 snaps following their trade, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required): Mankins, McClain, Ayers, Harvin, Wright and Burley. So, which of those players ended up having the biggest impact on their new squad?

Mankins led that group with 937 snaps, and his 4.8 rating on PFF ranked him as the third-best offensive player on Tampa Bay (however, he only ranked as the 22nd-best guard in the league). The 32-year-old was still very reliable for the Bucs, starting all 16 games.

Meanwhile, the player he was traded for ended up being a red-zone force for the Patriots. Wright finished the season with 26 catches for 259 yards, a far cry from his 54 catch, 571-yard season in 2013. The 24-year-old did set a career-high in touchdowns, though, catching six. Across the division, the Jets were hoping Harvin could provide a spark to their struggling offense. The wideout compiled 29 catches for 350 yards and a touchdown in eight games for New York. The skill player also added 22 rushes for 110 yards.

McClain had a bounce back season in 2014 following his one-year retirement. The former first-round pick made 13 appearances for the Cowboys, finishing with 81 tackles, two interruptions, a forced fumble and a sack. He also ranked eighth in PFF’s list of the top inside linebackers. The other linebacker on that list, Ayers, filled in adequately for the injured Jerod Mayo. Ayers played in nine games for the Patriots, including four starts, compiling 20 tackles and four sacks.

Finally, Burley managed to carve out some playing time in a very deep Seattle secondary. In 13 games, the 24-year-old compiled 25 tackles and an interception, while also earning a positive rating from PFF. His 1.7 rating was actually higher than teammates Byron Maxwell, although he played about half the snaps.

So, focusing on the six players who had played more than 300 snaps, which player acquired via trade had the biggest impact on their new club? Should one of the omitted players have made the list? Let us know in the comments.

East Notes: Thomas, Pats, Wright, Barkley

August 27th, 2014 at 8:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Daniel Thomas, who was once looked at as the best tailback in Miami, may not make the Dolphins‘ roster, writes James Walker of ESPN.com. The former second-round pick has been hampered by a hamstring injury this summer and has to make a big impression tomorrow night to solidify his spot. More from the AFC and NFC East..

  • The Patriots‘ acquisition of Tim Wright doesn’t have much to do with the health status of Rob Gronkowski, tweets Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Wright, a converted wide receiver, doesn’t block the way that Gronk can but will probably be utilized in the passing game.
  • Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer expects the Eagles to retain Matt Barkley at their third quarterback. There had been some speculation that G.J. Kinne could beat out Barkley for the final spot, or that the Eagles could carry only two quarterbacks, but Barkley solidified his standing after a rough spring, and Kinne is probably practice-squad bound.
  • Free agent addition Malcolm Jenkins could be the key to elevating the Eagles‘ secondary, writes Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Eagles have been searching for a quality safety since the departure of Brian Dawkins six years ago and Jenkins could be just that. Jenkins was displaced in New Orleans when the Saints signed Jairus Byrd, and he’s surely anxious to show what he can do for a new club.
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