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Vic Beasley

Vic Beasley, Martavis Bryant, Josh Gordon, Marquette King On XFL Rosters

February 9th, 2023 at 3:46pm CST by Sam Robinson

The XFL will begin its third try next week. The rebooting league’s latest season will begin Feb. 18, nearly two months before USFL 2.0’s second season is scheduled to start.

This setup will make for a strange winter-spring period in which two minor leagues of sorts will be in operation. Considering the short tenures of XFL 2.0 (2020) and the Alliance of American Football (2019), this will be one of the more interesting years for non-NFL football.

Numerous former NFLers line the XFL’s season-opening rosters. Here are some of the players who will be part the league’s latest eight-team configuration. The full rosters can be found here.

Arlington Renegades

King has not punted since the 2018 season, when the Broncos waived him not long after signing the veteran specialist to a multiyear deal. King, 34, punted for the Raiders for five seasons.

D.C. Defenders

Armstead received workout opportunities and landed with multiple teams, but the former Jaguars backup has been unable to regain his footing since missing all of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 complications. A former Packers second-round pick, Murphy has six NFL seasons under his belt. Reid, 31, played eight NFL seasons — most recently suiting up in 2021 — and was a regular for the Lions early in his career. Brice started 10 games for the Packers in 2018; he has not played since.

Houston Roughnecks

Davis started 42 games for the Steelers from 2017-19; he played with three teams during the 2021 season. A

Orlando Guardians

Elam logged 26 starts for the Ravens, but his NFL run stopped after the 2016 season. A former Broncos second-round pick, Latimer played six NFL seasons and ended up a 10-game starter for the Giants in 2019. Lynch was part of the 2016 and ’17 Broncos squads along with Latimer but, despite his first-round status, flamed out of the league after two seasons. He has since spent time in the CFL and USFL.

San Antonio Brahmas

Ballage did not play in the NFL this season but saw action in 17 games for the Steelers in 2021. Wing served as the Giants’ punter for three seasons. Sinnett was with the Dolphins this season, joining the team following Tua Tagovailoa‘s Week 4 concussion.

Seattle Sea Dragons

The biggest name in this XFL edition, Gordon became a journeyman in recent years. He was most recently with the Titans, catching on with Tennessee this year before being released in October. The former All-Pro spent the 2021 season with the Chiefs. Suspensions hijacked the 31-year-old pass catcher’s career. The Cowboys cut DiNucci just before this season, and while workout opportunities came, the former emergency Dallas starter will try his hand in the XFL.

St. Louis BattleHawks

Although McCarron’s most recent action came with the Texans, he was on the 2021 Falcons. A path toward being Matt Ryan‘s final backup in Atlanta closed after a preseason ACL tear. Workouts in 2022 did not lead to a signing.

Vegas Vipers

A former top-10 pick and NFL sack leader, Beasley has been out of the league since the 2020 season. The ex-Super Bowl starter’s one-year, $9.5MM deal did not work out for the Titans, who cut the edge rusher during the ’20 campaign. Bryant has been out of the league longer, with suspensions altering his path. The talented ex-Steeler spent time in Canada recently. Hundley was on the Ravens’ practice squad until season’s end this year, signing with the team after Lamar Jackson‘s ankle injury.

Raiders Place Henry Ruggs On Reserve/COVID-19 List

December 15th, 2020 at 4:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ahead of a key Thursday game against the Chargers, the Raiders are set to be without their field-stretching rookie wideout. They placed Henry Ruggs on their reserve/COVID-19 list Tuesday.

While the Raiders have not gotten as much from Ruggs statistically as some of the other teams who drafted receivers this year, the Alabama product has helped the team’s offense as a deep threat.

It is not yet known if Ruggs tested positive for the coronavirus or qualifies as a high-risk close contact. Either scenario would, however, give him an opening to play in Week 16. This makes for another setback for the 2020 draft’s top wideout selected. He missed much of Las Vegas’ offseason program after suffering an off-field injury and missed time earlier this season because of a hamstring malady.

Ruggs is averaging 18.0 yards per catch this season, hauling in 23 passes for 414 yards and two touchdowns. The coveted prospect has seen low-cost UFA Nelson Agholor operate as Las Vegas’ top outside receiver as of late.

The Raiders also promoted Vic Beasley from their practice squad. The Raiders’ loss to the Colts bumped them back to the “In the Hunt” tier of the AFC playoff picture, placing obvious importance on their Week 15 game against the Bolts.

Minor NFL Transactions: 12/12/20

December 12th, 2020 at 4:54pm CST by Ben Levine

Here is Saturday’s usual barrage of minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

  • Placed on reserve/COVID-19 list: LB Jachai Polite; Polite tested positive for the coronavirus, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (via Twitter)

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tennessee Titans

Washington Football Team

Raiders To Promote DE Vic Beasley

December 5th, 2020 at 4:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Vic Beasley appears set to suit up for a second team this season. The Raiders are promoting their recent practice squad addition to their active roster, Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal tweets.

The Raiders signed Beasley last week. He needed nearly a week’s worth of negative COVID-19 tests to practice with his new team, but the former first-round pick will have a chance to redeem himself after an unproductive Titans tenure.

Beasley struggled for much of his Falcons tenure, but he was a 2016 first-team All-Pro after recording 15.5 sacks. He failed to justify Atlanta’s top-10 investment, but the Clemson product finished his contract year on a bit of a tear to finish with eight sacks. The Titans received little after signing Beasley to a one-year, $9.5MM deal; the sixth-year veteran pass rusher recorded zero sacks.

The Raiders, however, have a need on the edge. They have experienced issues sacking quarterbacks since trading Khalil Mack. The team’s Clelin Ferrell draft choice has yet to pay dividends, though 2019 fourth-rounder Maxx Crosby has helped make up for that. But the Raiders will have Ferrell back Sunday, with Crosby and now Beasley joining him as the team hopes to begin a late-season resurgence that ends with a playoff berth. The Raiders will hope to have ex-Beasley Falcons teammate Takkarist McKinley (currently on IR) as part of this equation before December ends.

Raiders Add Vic Beasley To Practice Squad

November 23rd, 2020 at 3:58pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are stocking up on former Falcons notables. In addition to adding Takkarist McKinley, the Raiders will also sign edge rusher Vic Beasley, according to ESPN.com’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). While McKinley seems ticketed for the active roster, Beasley will head to the practice squad.

Despite signing Beasley to a one-year, $9.5MM deal this offseason, the Titans cut ties with him earlier this month. The former first-round pick showed up late to camp, clashed with team brass, and failed to record a single sack as a Titan. While he saw his playing time gradually increase throughout the season, Beasley still mostly produced in a platoon role, finishing with three tackles and one forced fumble in five games.

Despite the underwhelming performance in Tennessee, this represents the ultimate low-risk, high-reward scenario for Jon Gruden & Co. After all, he’s not that far removed from 2016, when he notched 15.5 sacks en route to a 2016 All-Pro selection. He also managed eight sacks in 2019 — good enough to land that ill-fated platform deal in Tennessee. For reference, the Raiders have the second-fewest sacks in the NFL (11), and the rank in the bottom 10 in QB hits, tackles for loss, and sack percentage.

Just moments ago, the Raiders claimed McKinley off waivers from the 49ers. Assuming the defensive end passes his physical (which is a big assumption, considering his failed physicals with the Bengals and 49ers), the 25-year-old should get a spot on the active roster.

Raiders To Host DE Vic Beasley

November 18th, 2020 at 4:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

A suddenly depleted Raiders team brought in Vic Beasley for a workout, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter). This comes after a host of Las Vegas defensive linemen landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Despite signing Beasley to a one-year, $9.5MM deal this offseason, the Titans cut bait earlier this month. The former Falcons first-round pick did not enjoy a productive stay in Nashville. After not reporting to camp on time, Beasley did not record a sack as a Titan.

The Raiders have Clelin Ferrell and Arden Key on their reserve/COVID list. While Beasley would not factor into practices this week — due to COVID-19 protocols — he could serve as a Ferrell replacement. The 2019 top-five pick tested positive for the coronavirus and will be in danger of missing Week 12 after sitting out Sunday’s game against the Chiefs.

Although Beasley washed out with the Titans and saw his trade market dry up last season, he enjoyed productive stretches in Atlanta. Beasley’s 15.5-sack 2016 secured him an All-Pro honor, and after the Falcons did not trade him last season, he produced a strong finish and ended the ’19 season with eight sacks. Beasley is also a Clemson alum, which is notable considering the current Raiders regime’s bevy of investments in the ACC program’s prospects.

The Raiders have struggled to pressure quarterbacks since trading Khalil Mack. Their 11 sacks are 31st in the league, with only the Jaguars (nine) accumulating fewer QB drops than the long-pass rusher-starved Silver and Black.

Titans To Release LB Vic Beasley

November 3rd, 2020 at 5:20pm CST by Ben Levine

The Titans have apparently seen enough out of linebacker Vic Beasley. The team announced that they’ll be cutting the veteran on Wednesday.

While Beasley hadn’t even been with the Titans for a full year, his stint in Tennessee was still plenty tumultuous. He inked a one-year deal containing $9.5MM in guaranteed money back in March, but he was placed on the Titans’ reserve/did not report during training camp. He eventually reported in mid-August, but there was never a true explanation for his no-show. Plus, while the two sides reiterated that they had been in contact throughout his absence, the Titans were also clear that the truancy was unexcused.

That wasn’t the end of things. Beasley subsequently failed his physical was placed on the PUP list, and he was finally activated by the Titans in early September. He made his debut in Week 3 for Tennessee, but he’s mostly played in a platoon role; his season-high in defensive snaps played was this past weekend against the Bengals. In total, the 28-year-old’s Titans career will end with only three tackles and one forced fumble in five games played.

Following a standout career at Clemson, the Falcons made Beasley the eighth-overall pick in the 2015 draft. The linebacker’s tenure with the Falcons was a bit trick-or-treat; after playing a giant role in the Falcons winning the NFC Championship in 2016 (15.5 sacks, six forced fumbles), he combined for only 10 sacks between the 2017 and 2018 campaign. There’s a chance a rival team ends up taking a chance on the 28-year-old; a team would owe him only $1.85MM of his remaining 2020 salary, per ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).

It’s been a busy few days for the Titans. The organization cut cornerback Johnathan Joseph earlier today, and they acquired cornerback/return specialist Desmond King in a trade with the Chargers yesterday.

Titans To Activate OLB Vic Beasley From NFI

September 5th, 2020 at 11:58am CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Vic Beasley‘s bizarre time with the Titans is taking a step in the right direction. Beasley will be activated off the non-football injury list and moved to the active roster for the team’s opening 53-man group, veteran beat writer Paul Kuharsky tweets.

Beasley signed with Tennessee on a one-year deal worth up to $12MM with $9.5MM in guarantees back in March. He then failed to report to camp on time and went radio silent, with seemingly nobody knowing where he was for a while. Eventually he resurfaced after a couple of weeks, reporting after the unexcused absence last month.

That wasn’t the end of the saga however, as he promptly failed his physical and was placed on the PUP list. He’s slowly been working his way back, and it’s unclear how much if at all he’ll be able to play in Week 1. The Titans signed him hoping he could boost their undermanned pass-rush, and didn’t do much else to address it this offseason.

The eighth overall pick of the 2015 draft, Beasley was mostly a disappointment with the Falcons. He had one great year when he had 15.5 sacks in 2016, but he notched only 18 over the past three years combined. The Titans are reportedly still going hard after Jadeveon Clowney, likely in large part due to the Beasley drama. Nevertheless, it does sound like Beasley is at least making strides.

Vic Beasley Reports To Titans

August 7th, 2020 at 10:26am CST by Zachary Links

Vic Beasley is in the building. The outside linebacker reported to the Titans for COVID-19 testing on Friday morning, according to beat reporter Paul Kuharsky (on Twitter). 

Beasley has no-showed throughout the offseason, despite having just signed a one-year, $9.5MM free agent deal with the Titans in March. The deal – fully guaranteed – was set to place him as one of the team’s starting defensive ends, opposite of Harold Landry. Instead, GM Jon Robinson has been left to answer questions about Beasley’s whereabouts.

“I have been in contact with Vic, he is not here, he understands his absence is unexcused, and he told me he will be reporting to camp in the near future,” said the GM, after placing Beasley on the Reserve/Did Not Report list. “Our current focus is on the players that are here now, getting everyone acclimated to the protocols, our building, and our football program. We will have the same acclimation process with Vic when he reports.”

A former first-round pick of the Falcons, Beasley broke out in 2016, his sophomore NFL season. He managed 15.5 sacks that year but couldn’t reprise that performance in 2017 or 2018. Then, in 2019, he turned in eight sacks, giving him some momentum heading into free agency.

Latest On Titans’ Vic Beasley

August 5th, 2020 at 12:59pm CST by Zachary Links

In March, the Titans signed Vic Beasley to fortify their edge rush. In August, they’re just hoping to see him sometime soon. Beasley has yet to report, and the team hasn’t had “a lot of conversation with him,” head coach Mike Vrabel says (Twitter link via Jim Wyatt of the team website). 

Beasley has been MIA throughout the offseason and he didn’t speak with anyone from the team until late last month. His absence, GM Jon Robinson says, is unexcused. The team hasn’t offered much clarity on Beasley’s situation and neither has his camp.

A former first-round pick of the Falcons, Beasley broke out in 2016, his second NFL season. He managed 15.5 sacks that year, but things cooled off after that – he notched five sacks in 2017 and 2018. In 2019, Beasley finished out with eight sacks, though that number was bolstered by a disproportionately strong home stretch.

Beasley is under contract for this year only. His one-year, $9.5MM deal is fully guaranteed, however. The Titans signed the former top-10 pick to fill a need opposite Harold Landry, who largely represented their only strong edge presence last season. If Beasley ends up a no-show, that would be quite the development. It would also seemingly strengthen Tennessee’s motivation to chase Jadeveon Clowney. The Titans have been on the fringe of that situation for months.

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