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Travis Coons

Workout Notes: Pack, Vikes, Chiefs, Giants

November 8th, 2016 at 7:50pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

In addition to the previously reported Joique Bell, the running back-needy Packers worked out fellow rushers James Wilder Jr. and Brandon Wegher on Tuesday, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Defensive end Arthur Miley and defensive back Brandon Dixon also tried out.

More of the latest workouts (courtesy of Howard Balzer, unless otherwise noted):

AFC Notes: Jaguars, Talib, Browns, Bengals

November 4th, 2016 at 7:13pm CST by Zachary Links

Could the Jaguars hire Tom Coughlin as their next coach? No conversations have taken place between the two parties, but Adam Schefter of ESPN.com wonders if the Jags could be interested in Coughlin, who was their very first coach as an expansion franchise. Coughlin – who coached the Jags from 1995-2002 – still has a home in Jacksonville, his charity is based there, and he has made it clear that he wants to coach. One source close to the situation told Schefter that “it’s not the craziest idea in the world.” One obstacle, however, could be Coughlin’s age (71 next August), as well as the fact that he enjoys his current role with the league, tweets Tom Pelissero of USA Today.

More regarding Jacksonville and three other AFC teams:

  • Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib will not play on Sunday night against Oakland due to his back injury, James Palmer of NFL.com tweets.
  • The grievance for cornerback K’Waun Williams against the Browns is expected to be heard around February, his agent tells Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (on Twitter). Williams just had ankle surgery on Monday and 12-week recovery period is expected.
  • The Bengals tried out kicker Travis Coons, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN (Twitter link). The club also auditioned Zach Hocker, Kai Forbath, and Randy Bullock this week, but Mike Nugent remains in place as its lone option at kicker. The 34-year-old Nugent is on notice, though, having connected on just 14 of 19 field goals. In the Bengals’ 27-27 tie with the Redskins last week, Nugent missed a field goal and an extra point.
  • The Browns are considering switching second-year man Cameron Erving from center to right tackle, head coach Hue Jackson said Friday (via Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com). The 2015 first-round pick struggled at guard as a rookie, starting in just four of 16 appearances, and has performed poorly at center this season while battling injuries. Erving, who has appeared in five of the Browns’ eight games, is currently Pro Football Focus’ worst-ranked center.
  • The Jaguars worked out punter Brock Miller, as Adam Caplan of ESPN.com tweets. Miller is the second punter to audition for Jacksonville this week, joining Cody Webster.

Browns Cut Paul Kruger, Others

August 29th, 2016 at 8:00am CST by Zachary Links

The Browns have released linebacker Paul Kruger, as Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com writes. Also in this wave of cuts were kicker Travis Coons, quarterback Austin Davis and tight end E.J. Bibbs. Paul Kruger (vertical)

Kruger recorded 11.0 sacks in 2014, but last season he saw his sack count drop to 2.5. Over the summer, Kruger didn’t perform as well as the team had hoped and today he became a roster casualty as the club focuses more on its young players. According to Cabot, Friday night’s preseason game against the Bucs was Kruger’s last chance to make a strong impression on the team but he failed to do that as he didn’t get close to sacking starter Jameis Winston.

Kruger came to the Browns in 2013 when he inked a five-year free agent deal worth $40.5MM, including $13MM guaranteed. He was under contract through next season at $6.5MM this year and $7MM next year. Now, the Browns will save millions by cutting him loose.

Meanwhile, the release of Coons means that former Bucs kicker Patrick Murray has won the Browns’ kicking job.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/18/16

May 18th, 2016 at 4:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s minor moves:

  • The Browns claimed kicker Jaden Oberkrom off waivers from the Jaguars, Adam Caplan of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). Waived by the Jags on Monday to make room for veteran guard Jeff Linkenbach, Oberkrom kicked for four years at TCU, making 79-of-100 field goals for the Horned Frogs. He’ll join Travis Coons and Brad Craddock as Cleveland’s rostered kickers. However, the Browns are searching for help after Coons had four kicks blocked last season, Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal reports.
  • The Panthers have added wide receiver Avius Capers to the roster, as David Newton of ESPN.com tweets. Capers is a familiar face for the Panthers, having spent time with the team in training camp last year. As of this writing, Carolina has a dozen receivers on its roster.
  • The Colts are signing former New Mexico State corner Winston Rose following a successful private workout, Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle tweets. Rose boasts a 4.37-second 40-yard-dash time and his speed has led to NFL attention.
  • The Packers have signed safety Jermaine Whitehead, according to a source who spoke with Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. Whitehead finished last season with Baltimore, who signed him late in the year off San Francisco’s practice squad.

Browns Re-Sign Pasztor, Solomon, Three ERFAs

April 4th, 2016 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

The Browns didn’t re-sign many of their top unrestricted free agents when the 2016 league year opened last month, but the team has brought back several of its restricted and exclusive-rights free agents. The Browns announced today in a press release that they’ve re-signed RFA offensive lineman Austin Pasztor and linebacker Scott Solomon, along with ERFA kicker Travis Coons, wide receiver Darius Jennings, and offensive lineman Kaleb Johnson.Travis Coons (Featured)

Of the re-signed players, Pasztor and Coons had the most significant roles on the 2015 Browns. Pasztor made four starts at left guard for the club, and has now made 27 starts in his NFL career. Given his experience at multiple positions along the offensive line, Pasztor may have an opportunity to win a full-time starting job in 2016, with Mitchell Schwartz and Alex Mack no longer in the mix.

Coons, meanwhile, was Cleveland’s starting kicker in his rookie season, converting 28 of 32 field goals (87.5%) and 22 of 24 extra points (91.7%). Coons was perfect on field goal tries from inside 40 yards, but missed four attempts of 40+ yards, and didn’t make a 50-yarder.

Jennings saw action in four games for the Browns down the stretch, catching 14 balls for 117 yards and earning some reps as a kick returner. Solomon, meanwhile, appeared in just two games before landing on injured reserve with a knee injury, while Johnson was claimed off waivers from Baltimore in December and didn’t see any playing time down the stretch in Cleveland.

Pasztor and Solomon both received low-end RFA tenders, so they’ll be in line for salaries of $1.671MM if they make the team. The other three players are on minimum-salary deals, and weren’t really free agents, since their only two options were to sign their respective ERFA tenders or to sit out.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Minor Moves: Tuesday

December 30th, 2014 at 10:10pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll round up Tuesday’s minor moves from around the NFL right here, including transactions by teams still in the playoffs as well as clubs looking ahead to next year:

10:10pm:

  • The Lions have signed TE Ifeanyi Momah to a 2015 reserve/future contract, according to Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com (on Twitter).

3:57pm:

  • The Chiefs signed former Seahawks tailback Spencer Ware, according to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (via Twitter).
  • Jets quarterback Matt Simms reworked his contract today to avoid becoming an exclusive rights free agent in 2015, according to a team release. The club also added kicker Andrew Furney and running back Daryl Richardson on reserve/futures deals, in addition to the six players whose reserve contracts we heard about yesterday.
  • In addition to confirming reserve/futures contracts for Garrison Smith and Chris Martin, as was reported yesterday, the 49ers announced in a press release that they’ve signed running back Kendall Gaskins, tight end Xavier Grimble, wide receiver Lance Lewis. All five players finished the season on San Francisco’s practice squad.
  • Running back Terrance Cobb announced (via Twitter) that he has signed a futures deal with the Raiders. Cobb initially signed with the Jaguars as an undrafted rookie in May, and was cut in the preseason.
  • The Bears may not have a head coach or GM, but they’re still adding players to their roster — Chicago signed defensive end Jamil Merrell to a reserve/futures contract, the team announced today (via Twitter).
  • Former Canisius College basketball player Chris Manhertz announced (via Instagram) that he has signed a contract with the Bills. According to Joe Buscaglia of WGR550 (via Twitter), the ex-hoopster projects as a tight end. The Bills have since confirmed the signing of Manhertz, and announced a deal for fullback Corey Knox as well.

2:19pm:

  • Offensive tackle Justin Renfrow has been released from the Packers‘ practice squad, creating an opening on the unit, according to the team.
  • The Steelers have also made a change to their taxi squad, signing wide receiver Tim Benford and releasing cornerback Jordan Sullen, per Burt Lauten (via Twitter). The addition of Benford provides some insurance for the receiving corps, after the team cut wideout Justin Brown from its active roster today.
  • The Browns signed a pair of kickers, Travis Coons and Carey Spear, to reserve/futures contracts, the club announced today, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal (Twitter link). The two kickers join seven other players who signed futures deals yesterday with Cleveland.
  • The Jaguars have signed offensive lineman Cody Booth, tight end Marcel Jensen, defensive back Peyton Thompson, and wide receiver Tony Washington to reserve/futures contracts, tweets Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com. All four players spent time on the club’s practice squad this season.
  • The Saints signed five more players to reserve/futures deals, according to Evan Woodbery of the Times-Picayune, who lists running back Edwin Baker, kicker Dustin Hopkins, tight end Orson Charles, and offensive linemen Mike Brewster and Andrew Miller as the latest recepients. We learned yesterday that the club also signed wideout Willie Snead and fullback Toben Opurum to futures contracts.

Workout Updates: Wednesday

December 24th, 2014 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Although NFL teams have been working out players all season, most of this week’s auditions will be conducted with an eye on the future, since clubs will soon be able to start signing players to reserve/futures deals for the 2015 season. Listed below are the most recently reported workouts from around the league, with all links pointed to Aaron Wilson’s Twitter account, unless otherwise indicated…

  • Prior to signing long snapper Charley Hughlett, the Browns auditioned several other long snappers, taking a look at Dax Dellenbach, Brandon Hartson, and Luke Ingram. The club also worked out defensive tackle Torell Troup.
  • While the Raiders elected to sign linebacker Justin Jackson to their practice squad yesterday, the team also tried out fellow linebacker Terrance Bullitt. Bullitt reached an agreement as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens in May, but it fell through due to a shoulder issue.
  • The Vikings brought in defensive end Leon Mackey and linebacker Justin Anderson for tryouts this week — the latter ended up signing to Minnesota’s practice squad.
  • A pair of running backs and a pair of defensive backs worked out for the Falcons this week. Atlanta opted to sign RB Ronnie Wingo and DB Brandan Bishop to its taxi squad, passing on RB Michael Ford and DB Malcolm Branson.
  • In addition to working out for the Jaguars this week, defensive end Shawn Lemon auditioned for the Colts.
  • Undrafted free agent center Jared Wheeler tried out for the Buccaneers, along with kicker Travis Coons, wide receiver Derrick Johnson, defensive back Shelton Johnson, and offensive linemen Adrian Battles, Stetson Burnett, Brett Van Sloten, and Brett Jones.
  • The Seahawks auditioned wide receivers Lamont Bryant, Mike Davis, Jeremy Gallon, and Douglas McNeil, along with ex-Ravens outside linebacker Michael McAdoo, per Wilson. Adam Caplan of ESPN.com adds (via Twitter) that Seattle also looked at quarterback Brett Smith, who was waived by the Buccaneers in May.
  • Caplan also passes along word of one more workout, tweeting that former seventh-round kicker Zach Hocker tried out for the 49ers.

Giants Worked Out Felix Jones, 14 Others

October 21st, 2014 at 4:31pm CST by Luke Adams

4:31pm: The Giants worked out 15 players in total, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who provides the full list of participants. Here are the 11 new names:

12:00pm: After losing back-to-back divisional matchups against the NFC-leading Cowboys and Eagles, the Giants are entering their bye week, and are taking the opportunity to look at a handful of free agents. According to Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), running backs Felix Jones and Alex Green are working out for the team.

Green, a former third-round pick who started his career with the Packers, was cut by the Jets in August and has auditioned for the Lions and Panthers since then. As for Jones, there haven’t been many reports on the former Cowboy this year, which is somewhat surprising — while he didn’t do much in limited action for the Steelers last season, he had recorded over 100 carries in each of his previous four seasons in Dallas, and is still just 27 years old.

The fact that the Giants are working out running backs shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as a sign that Rashad Jennings‘ recovery is moving slowly, or that the team is looking to add a player at the position. It’s more likely that New York is simply gauging the options in the market at several spots in case the club needs to dip into free agency later in the season.

In fact, Josina Anderson of ESPN reports (via Twitter) that quarterback Terrelle Pryor is also visiting the club today, while Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post adds tight end Tony Moeaki to the list of players auditioning. The Giants’ workout group this work is expected to be large, as Jordan Raanan of NJ.com tweets, so several more participants will likely be reported soon.

Ryan Succop, Titans Agree To One-Year Deal

September 1st, 2014 at 1:13pm CST by Ben Levine

1:13pm: The Titans have officially agreed to terms with Succop on a one-year deal, reports Wyatt (via Twitter). Per Terry McCormick (via Twitter), rookie kicker Travis Coons will be cut to make room on the roster.

MONDAY, 11:18am: Succop is still receiving interest from several teams, but is making the most progress with the Titans, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.

SUNDAY, 9:38pm: The Titans waived Maikon Bonani yesterday, indicating that the team was going to move forward with Travis Coons as their starting kicker. Those plans have apparently changed, as Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean reports that the team is expected to sign veteran Ryan Succop.

Succop’s five-year tenure as the Chiefs‘ starting placekicker ended yesterday when he failed to make the team’s final cuts. The 27-year-old has made 81 percent of his career field goal attempts and has never missed an extra point. Last season, he converted 22-of-28 field goal attempts, leading Pro Football Focus (subscription required) to rank him as the 19th-best kicker. To compare, the Titans kicker last season, Rob Bironas, ranked as the 25th-best.

Sunday Roundup: Clemens, Fairley, Bortles

August 17th, 2014 at 12:57pm CST by Rory Parks

The preseason has reached its unofficial halfway point, and teams must trim their rosters to 75 players in just over a week from now. As position competitions continue to smolder and as bubble players strive to prove themselves in preseason contests, let’s take a look at some notes from around the league:

  • Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean offers some lessons learned from the Titans‘ second preseason game against the Saints. He notes that Travis Coons‘ accuracy has made the kicking competition with Maikon Bonani much more interesting than anticipated, and while return specialist Marc Mariani still faces an uphill battle to make the club, his returns on Saturday night have kept him in the picture.
  • Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com believes the Ravens should keep starting corners Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith on the shelf until the regular season opener against the Bengals. Baltimore has been “snakebitten” at the cornerback position and Hensley believes the team’s best bet is to hope that a decent player gets released as the preseason rolls on. He writes that, if free agents like Asante Samuel and Dunta Robinson could help, they would have jobs by now.
  • Kevin Acee of U-T San Diego writes that the Chargers are thrilled to have Kellen Clemens as Philip Rivers‘ backup, as they are confident Clemens could win games for them if he were pressed into duty.
  • Mike Klis of the Denver Post ranks undrafted free agent Juwan Thompson as the Broncos‘ biggest training camp surprise. Though Thompson entered camp as the No. 6 tailback on the roster, he now appears to have a legitimate shot at making the club.
  • Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes that the Lions need to salvage Nick Fairley, who represents their last hope from the now infamous 2011 draft, but if Fairley does not show improvement soon, he could be a midseason trade candidate.
  • Birkett (Twitter links) and Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com offer brief discussions of the Lions‘ wide receiver competition and predict which wideouts may make the club.
  • Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com provides a list of which Packers bubble players helped themselves and who hurt themselves in Saturday’s preseason game against the Rams.
  • Ben Volin of the Boston Globe believes the Browns and Jaguars should hand the reins to Blake Bortles and Johnny Manziel right away, rather than have them sit behind the players they will eventually overtake. Since Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan led their clubs to the playoffs during their rookie seasons in 2008, rookie quarterbacks have fared very well when thrown into the fire from day one. For what it’s worth, Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida-Times Union tweets that Bortles will finally get reps with the first team offense on Monday and could play with the ones in the second quarter in the team’s upcoming preseason game against the Lions.
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