HEADLINES

Victor Hampton

Extra Points: Cowboys, Brees, Pryor, Hampton

September 22nd, 2015 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, former NFL receiver Terrell Owens said he and his agent had contacted the Cowboys to let them know that the former Pro Bowler would be an option if the team was interested in his services. Of course, at age 41, Owens knows he probably won’t get a call from Jerry Jones, but the former Cowboy says he’d love the chance to play for the team again, after things didn’t go totally smoothly the last time.

“We all know what happened when I was there, and there were some things said where it kind of maybe fractured the relationship between myself and [Jason] Witten and [Tony] Romo,” Owens said, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “Time has passed, and hopefully, they know that I’ve moved on beyond that. Maybe, hopefully, they have. But for me, it’s all about giving myself an opportunity. That’s all I ever really wanted.”

As Owens waits on that opportunity that almost certainly isn’t coming, let’s round up some more odds and ends from around the NFL…

  • Dr. James Andrews confirmed today that Saints quarterback Drew Brees doesn’t have a tear in the rotator cuff of his throwing shoulder, a source tells Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Brees’ official status is still up in the air, but he’ll make a push to try to play in Week 3 for New Orleans.
  • Last night, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweeted that quarterback-turned-wide-receiver Terrelle Pryor was set to visit the Seahawks on Tuesday. However, Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post says (via Twitter) that the Jets are working out the former Brown today. While Pryor’s schedule isn’t exactly clear, it appears he’ll audition for both the Seahawks and Jets this week.
  • Free agent cornerback Victor Hampton, who last played for the Ravens, has been suspended for two weeks by the NFL, stemming from a DUI arrest, tweets Wilson. Hampton, who also spent time with the Giants last year, has yet to play in a regular season game, and likely won’t do so anytime soon now that he has run into off-field trouble.
  • Wilson also passes along updates on a couple workouts, reporting (via Twitter) that the Jets are auditioning former Ravens quarterback Bryn Renner, while the Broncos are taking a look at ex-Falcons tackle Matt Huffer.
  • After playing without representation for some time, Washington running back Alfred Morris, who is in a contract year, has hired agent Sean Stellato of SES Sports, tweets Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.
  • Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap takes a look at a few players who improved their stocks with their performances over the weekend, as well as those whose play had a negative impact on their value. Unsurprisingly, Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford is among the players who saw his stock drop a little in Week 2, according to Fitzgerald.

Minor Moves: Alexander, Hampton

March 2nd, 2015 at 4:36pm CST by Zachary Links

Tonight’s minor moves..

  • The Seahawks have signed linebacker Mister Alexander, a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter). Alexander, who spent part of the year on Dallas’ taxi squad, was signed to a futures deal in January by Dallas before being let go in February. Seattle got a look at Alexander back in November and apparently kept his number handy.
  • The Ravens released cornerback Victor Hampton, according to Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com. Hampton, 22, was arrested over the weekend on DUI charges while he was driving 100 mph in a 55 mph zone in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Ravens signed the South Carolina product to a futures deal in January. After going undrafted in 2014, he spent part of the season with the Giants and Bengals.

AFC Notes: Fins, Broncos, FA Targets, Ravens

March 1st, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Always among the biggest players in free agency, the Dolphins will look to fill several holes when the new league year begins next week. Corner, defensive tackle, and linebacker are among the positions that could use upgrades in South Beach, and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald offers several names that could be of interest to the Fins. Per Jackson, the Dolphins have internally discussed both Kareem Jackson and Brandon Flowers at corner, and the club also wants to re-sign Jimmy Wilson.

Along the defensive line, Miami is interested in Tom Johnson, Corey Peters, and Terrance Knighton, the latter of whom, as Jackson adds, will be the most expensive. Kenrick Ellis is viewed as a “backup option,” while Haloti Ngata will be on the Dolphins’ radar if he’s released by the Ravens. At linebacker, Jackson has previously reported that Miami is intrigued by David Harris, Mason Foster, and Dan Skuta.

Here’s more from the AFC:

  • Like the Dolphins, the Broncos are expected to be heavily involved in free agency, as they have been for the duration of GM John Elway’s reign. According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, the Broncos will target a variety of positions next week, with offensive line, safety, tight end, and defensive end among them. Center Rodney Hudson, edge defender Pernell McPhee, and and tight end Charles Clay all figure to spark Denver’s interest, per Klis, who adds that center is the one position where the Broncos will surely add a high-profile free agent.
  • Ravens cornerback Victor Hampton was arrested for DWI last night, tweets Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun. Hampton was signed to a futures deal in January, and given Baltimore’s low-tolerance for off-the-field incidents at the moment, Aaron Wilson of the Sun (via Twitter) doesn’t see Hampton ever setting foot on a field for the Ravens.
  • The Raiders haven’t officially released safety Tyvon Branch, leading Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap to believe (Twitter link) that Branch will be designated a post-June 1 cut. Such releases can’t be formalized until the new league year begins next week.
  • In a full-length piece, Fitzgerald takes a look at the Colts’ cap situation as they head into free agency. Check out PFR’s Connor Byrne’s Indianapolis outlook here.

Ravens Sign Nine To Reserve/Futures Deals

January 12th, 2015 at 3:39pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, the Ravens announced that they have signed nine players to reserve/futures deals. Here’s the full list, courtesy of Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun (via Twitter)..

Several of those players spent time on Baltimore’s taxi squad, but Renner is a new addition to Baltimore after going undrafted last year. The QB was initially signed by Denver as a UDFA before being cut in late August.

Minor Moves: Vikings, Colts, Packers, Bengals

June 10th, 2014 at 4:45pm CST by Luke Adams

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

  • Third-round running back Jerick McKinnon has signed his rookie contract with the Vikings, the team announced today in a press release. All 10 Minnesota draftees are now under contract, meaning half of the NFL’s 32 teams have finished signings their draft picks.
  • The Colts announced two corresponding roster moves today in a press release, signing wide receiver Greg Moore and cutting center Thomas Austin to clear room on the roster. Moore was initially signed as an undrafted free agent out of Lane College last month, but was waived a few days later.
  • The Packers have signed former Oklahoma State linebacker Shaun Lewis, tweets Wes Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The OSU alum, who went undrafted in May, fills out Green Bay’s roster at 90 players.
  • A pair of Angelo Wright clients have found new NFL homes, according to the agent himself, who tweeted word of the contract agreements today. Former Texas Tech defensive end Dartwan Bush has agreed to terms with the Cowboys, while ex-South Carolina cornerback Victor Hampton has struck a deal with the Bengals. Hampton had been scheduled to pay a visit to the Giants later this week.

NFC Notes: Graham, Forte, Giants, Peterson

June 10th, 2014 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The grievance hearing on Jimmy Graham‘s franchise tag positional designation is scheduled for next week, and a source tells Mike Triplett of ESPN.com that the NFL Management Council is preparing a “strong counterargument” against the NFLPA’s claim that Graham should be considered a receiver.

“The union’s position is a naked cash grab,” the source said. “It ignores Mr. Graham’s use as a traditional tight end on roughly 60% of the snaps where he lined up within four yards of the tackle. It also ignores the historical use of the tight end position.”

It’s fair to assume that Triplett’s source isn’t exactly an impartial observer, considering his comments sound like ones the NFL will make during the hearing. Taking into account that the Saints star lined up in the slot or split out wide for roughly two-thirds of his snaps in 2013, the decision certainly isn’t cut-and-dried, and the outcome could have significant ramifications not just on Graham’s next deal, but on the tight end position going forward.

Here’s more from out of the NFC:

  • “I think I can play 12 years,” Bears running back Matt Forte tells John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. Forte, who has two years left on his current contract, would have to play through the 2019 season to achieve that goal.
  • The Giants have multiple free agents lined up for workouts this week, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, who writes in two separate pieces that the club will audition 6’5″ wide receiver Denzell Jones and former South Carolina cornerback Victor Hampton on Wednesday.
  • Patrick Peterson and the Cardinals have yet to reach an agreement on a new long-term contract, but that didn’t stop the cornerback from reporting to the club’s mandatory minicamp today, says Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. Agent Joel Segal and the Cards continue to discuss an extension for Peterson.
  • Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com believes Justin Durant will be the Cowboys‘ starting middle linebacker when the regular season gets underway, but suggests that if Durant doesn’t play well in camp, the 28-year-old is a candidate to be cut or traded.
  • Wide receiver Kain Colter received the biggest bonus ($8K) among the Vikings‘ undrafted free agent signings, writes Ben Goessling of ESPN.com.