Tag: Andre Patton

Philadelphia Eagles sign WR Andre Patton to a deal

Philadelphia Eagles sign WR Andre Patton to a deal

After adding Obi Melifonwu to the roster, the Eagles announced that they’ve signed wide receiver Andre Patton to a free-agent deal.

Patton joins Philadelphia after spending 2020 on the Miami Dolphins practice squad.

A Wilmington, Delaware native, the 6-foot-4 Patton was targeted 17 times and caught six passes for 56 yards in 13 games after signing with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2017.

Patton played college football at Rutgers University.

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Miami Dolphins sign WR Andre Patton to the practice squad

Miami Dolphins sign WR Andre Patton to the practice squad

The Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver room has taken a number of hits thus far this season. Miami saw receivers Allen Hurns and Albert Wilson opt out of the 2020 season amid concerns around the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, veteran Isaiah Ford traded to the New England Patriots and youngster Preston Williams placed on injured reserve with a foot injury.

We knew coming into the 2020 season that the wide receiver room was going to need a facelift before it could be considered a “finished product” for rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa. But that feels more relevant than ever as the Dolphins turn to rookie WR Malcolm Perry to step into Ford’s role in the offense and assume more two-tight end sets to compensate for the loss of Williams. When the Dolphins went into 11-personnel, their base grouping, against the Chargers, wide receivers DeVante Parker, Malcolm Perry and Jakeem Grant took the field for the majority of them.

Miami is now adding a new option to the mix amid all the changes. It was announced last night that the Dolphins have signed former Chargers receiver Andre Patton to their practice squad.

Miami will still have another new variable to add into the mix with receiver Antonio Callaway as well, but Patton can serve as Miami’s desired insurance policy to make sure that on any given week the Dolphins can absorb an injury and be well groomed to keep the offense proficient and ready to go.

Patton, who played his college ball at Rutgers, logged 6 receptions for 53 yards with the Chargers in 2019 while dressing for 13 games. Given his role as a practice squad player, we aren’t likely to see Patton hit the field this season for Miami; but if he does, let it serve as the biggest reminder yet that the Dolphins’ wide receiver room desperately needs a facelift this offseason.

Cardinals announce signing of former Chargers WR Andre Patton

He caught six passes for 56 yards in 506 offensive snaps for the Chargers in 2019.

The Arizona Cardinals recently released undrafted rookie receiver Rashad Medaris. They have replaced him on the roster with another young player, albeit one with some playing experience in the league.

The team announced on Wednesday the signing of receiver Andre Patton, formerly of the Los Angeles Chargers.

Patton is a former undrafted rookie out of Rutgers who spent two seasons on the Chargers’ practice squad. Last season, he made it to the 53-man roster and appeared in 13 games, starting five times. He played 506 offensive snaps and 67 special teams snaps.

He had six receptions for 56 yards on offense and three tackles on special teams.

He is 6-4 and 200 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in the 4.5-second range so he has some speed for his size.

He will compete for a spot on the roster with 10 other receivers.

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Chargers cut 6 players, get roster to 80 players prior to NFL deadline

A notable player was cut by the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers cut bait with six players on Saturday, bringing their roster to 80 players.

Those players are as followed:

  • WR Andre Patton
  • DT P.J. Johnson
  • OT Koda Martin
  • TE Jared Rice
  • S Roderic Teamer
  • TE Andrew Vollert

Los Angeles could have started training camp with the traditional 90-man roster but needed to get down to 80 prior to the agreed-upon deadline of August 16 that the NFL and NFLPA settled in their negotiations for how the league will handle the COVID-19 pandemic.

By making cuts now, it gets the Bolts ahead of the pack, and also opening up the door for some of those waived players to find a new team ahead of the upcoming season.

Below is the official team statement:

The Los Angeles Chargers today announced the release of defensive tackle P.J. Johnson, tackle Koda Martin, wide receiver Andre Patton, tight end Jared Rice, safety Roderic Teamer and tight end Andrew Vollert. The moves bring the roster to 80 players for the start of training camp.

Johnson was a seventh-round selection by Detroit in the 2019 NFL Draft and finished the season on the Bolts’ practice squad.

Martin spent the 2019 season on injured reserve after signing as an undrafted rookie free agent.

Patton initially signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2017, spending two seasons on the practice squad before appearing in 13 games last year.

Rice was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Fresno State this offseason.

Teamer, an undrafted rookie free agent, made the 53-man roster in 2019, playing in seven games.

Opportunities opened up for Chargers’ rookie wide receivers

The battle for the third wide receiver spot just got more intense.

The battle for the third wide receiver will be one of the most compelling position competitions this training camp for the Chargers.

On Friday, I laid out what the team is specifically looking for and who might be the frontrunner.

Andre Patton was who I believed would win the job because of his experience. But in a surprising fashion, Patton was among six players released to get the roster down to 80 players.

With Patton gone, the attention has been shifted to two specific players – Joe Reed and K.J. Hill – both of whom provide the position with their own unique skillsets.

Reed, the fifth-round pick, can provide some versatility as he has experience out wide, in the slot and occasionally in the backfield. He can be used in sweeps, shovel passes and slants, similar to the role that the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel last season. He has the speed that the Chargers are looking for (4.47) to stretch the field.

Reed should help out with special teams as he averaged 33 yards a return and took five touchdowns to the house during his career at the University of Virginia.

Meanwhile, Hill, the seventh-round selection, isn’t the fastest wideout, but he has a knack for getting open and catching everything thrown his way. That’s a large reason why Hill is Ohio State’s reception leader (201). Even though he will likely be limited to the slot, Keenan Allen, the team’s natural slot receiver, is capable of playing outside.

Lynn specifically highlighted “speed” as the main thing the coaching staff is looking for during the evaluation process.

Therefore, I believe Reed has the slight advantage over Hill. A player I mentioned that should get some attention heading into camp is Jalen Guyton. Guyton, who has the breakaway speed (4.3) to be a threat on the outside.

Who will emerge as Chargers’ No. 3 wide receiver, what will their role look like?

This will be one of the more heated positional battles of training camp.

The Chargers struggled to get production from their No. 3 wide receiver last season. Aside from the one-two punch of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, it was slim pickings.

When the topic of the third receiver was brought up to coach Anthony Lynn’s attention on Wednesday, he said the No. 1 thing Los Angeles is looking for in the No. 3 wide receiver is “speed,” similar to what Tyrell Williams brought.

L.A. thought they had that with Travis Benjamin, but his inconsistent hands and injuries were maddening, which is why they elected to part ways.

At the moment, Andre Patton is the frontrunner because of his experience, and gives the Chargers what they’re looking for at that position with his 4.4 speed.

Patton appeared in 13 regular season games in 2019. He caught six passes for 56 yards last season. In the 2019 preseason, Patton caught six passes for 86 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Los Angeles added some pieces to the room by selecting Joe Reed in the fifth-round and K.J. Hill in the seventh-round of this year’s draft.

Reed and Hill should push Patton, but their skillsets don’t necessarily match what Lynn’s looking for in that role. Reed has the quicks, but he wasn’t much of a deep threat in college. Meanwhile, Hill isn’t known for his speed. Instead, he’s coveted for his route-running ability and ball skills.

Rounding out the rest of the group is Darius Jennings, Jason Moore, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson, Jeff Cotton and Dalton Schoen.

Guyton is a guy to keep an eye on, as he ran a 4.3 40 at his college Pro Day.

At the end of the day, Reed and Hill will make it a battle, but I expect Patton to ultimately win the job. His familiarity with the offense, experience and the shortage of training camp should earn the role.

3 Chargers who need strong showings at training camp

There will be plenty of competitions on the offensive side of the ball for the Chargers.

The Chargers, along with the majority of the other teams in the NFL, are preparing for training camp, which is slated to begin on July 28.

With teams not having spring practices, training camp will be more crucial than ever for players who are fighting for starting or roster spots.

With that being said, here are three players who need a strong outing at training camp:

WR Andre Patton

The competition for the third wide receiver spot will be one of the more compelling positional battles during training camp. While Keenan Allen and Mike Williams lead the pack, the guy behind them remains to be seen.

Last season, Patton had the opportunity to step up in the WR3 role after injuries hit the corps, but the two-year practice squad member only managed to haul in six passes for 56 yards on 17 targets in 13 games.

Now, he will have to fend off a couple of new faces that will be in contention for the spot led by draft selections Joe Reed and K.J. Hill. Patton has the upper hand with his experience and familiarity, but the rookies have the skillset to beat him out.

OT Trey Pipkins

Even though the decision to not address the left tackle position has had many scratching their heads, the coaching staff has made it clear that they like their in-house options going into training camp.

Pipkins, the team’s third-round pick from the 2019 NFL draft, wasn’t expected to take a single snap in his rookie season. However, that took a turn when Russell Okung missed quite a bit of action. Like any rookie offensive lineman, he experienced some struggles against NFL pass-rushers, but as he received more playing time, he managed to hold his own.

Sam Tevi, who will also be fighting for the starting job, could win this solely based on experience as a starter. That is why Pipkins will have to show that he has fixed his weaknesses from his last season, which include increased strength and improvement with his handwork, in order to win the spot.

RB Justin Jackson

Expected to run the ball more, the Chargers will have a competition for RB2. between Jackson and rookie Joshua Kelley. Jackson, the seventh-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, has averaged 5.1 yards per carry on 79 touches.

There is no denying that he can produce. The only issue is that he struggled to stay healthy last season, managing to play in only seven games. While the team is still “high” on him, Kelley, the fourth-round pick in this year’s draft, is out to win a spot and he has the skillset to do so.

Is Chargers’ K.J. Hill primed to win third wide receiver spot?

The skillset and mature makeup will help the former Ohio State product.

We are weeks away until training camp, where a handful of positional battles will unfold. Among the crop that will draw a lot of attention is the clash for the third wide receiver spot behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

The Chargers have a few that will be in contention for this job, which include Andre Patton, Darius Jennings, Jalen Moore and rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill.

However, a handful of analysts have tabbed Hill, the team’s seventh-round selection, as the front runner to win the No. 3 spot. Pro Football Focus’ Ben Lindsey is the latest to buy into the narrative.

Hill projects exclusively as a slot receiver after running over 90% of his routes from the slot in all four of his seasons with the Buckeyes. That’s an area where Allen already spends a fair bit of his time (52% of his routes in 2019), but Hill should be the team’s third-best wide receiver in 2020. The veteran options aren’t enticing, and Reed is still a project, particularly as a route-runner. Hill’s underneath route running and reliable hands are made for the slot, and I expect him to win that job.

There are two things that Hill is exceptional at: route-running and catching the football.

These are both required to excel at the NFL level, and Hill demonstrated them at a high level at Ohio State in his four years, which resulted in him becoming the school’s all-time reception leader (201).

His lack of speed and reps outside limits him to slot-only duties, which is where Keenan Allen plays. However, Allen has experience on the outside, which would allow Hill to be on the field at the same time.

Hill’s ability to win underneath would give Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert, who both do well connecting on shorter routes, a solid option.

Winning the job won’t be a gimme for Hill heading into training camp, but the former Buckeye’s skillset and mature makeup gives him the advantage.

Projecting the Chargers’ post-draft depth chart at wide receiver

There will be quite a few players fighting for the final wide receiver spots behind Keenan Allen and Mike Williams.

Going into the offseason, filling out the wide receiver room was seen as a priority. The Chargers did so by drafting rookies Joe Reed and K.J. Hill and signing Darius Jennings.

Now that Los Angeles is set at the position with the additional bodies, it’s time to predict how I think the depth chart will shake up heading into the upcoming season.

WR1: Keenan Allen

Allen, arguably one of the league’s route runners and separation gainers, isn’t going to lose his spot as the go-to wideout for the Chargers. The former Cal product finished with 104 receptions for 1,199 yards and six touchdowns. Allen has proven that he can stay durable after a slew of injuries early on in his career. He is tied for sixth with most games with receiving yards since 2017 (12).

WR2: Mike Williams

After being hampered by an injury in his rookie season, Williams has shown flashes of dominance as a jump ball and red zone target. In 2018, the former Clemson product had 10 touchdown receptions. In his third season, his scoring production dropped, but he still managed to top 1,000 receiving yards, while leading the league in 20.4 yards per catch. The team made it clear that he is a priority after having his fifth-year option picked up. If Justin Herbert plays this season, he should have a lot of fun with throwing deep to Williams.

WR3: K.J. Hill

This is where the competition begins. The Chargers have a few that will be in contention for this job, and while each of the newly acquired players bring their own unique skillset, Hill’s is likely to have the most success in the NFL. The team’s seventh-round selection has a knack for getting open and catching everything thrown his way. That’s a large reason why Hill is Ohio State’s reception leader (201), and is a must in the pros. Even though he will be limited to the slot, Allen is capable of playing outside, which will allow them to both be on the field at the same time.

WR4: Joe Reed

Reed will provide some versatility as he has experience out wide, in the slot and occasionally in the backfield. He will be used in sweeps, shovel passes and slants, similar to the role that the 49ers gave Deebo Samuel last season. He could also develop into the deep option, given his speed (4.47), but his route-running needs refinement. Reed should help out with special teams as he averaged 33 yards a return and took two touchdowns to the house. It wouldn’t be surprising if he is the starting kick returner.

WR5: Andre Patton

Patton was the frontrunner to winning the WR3 job entering the offseason after the Chargers released Travis Benjamin, but the acquisitions of Hill and Reed are bound to not make it an easy task for him now. When given the opportunity to step up after injuries hit Benjamin and Geremy Davis, the two-year practice squad member only managed to haul in six passes for 56 yards on 17 targets in 13 games last season.

WR6: Darius Jennings

The special teams department has been a major concern for the Chargers the past few seasons, and it’s clear that they made it a priority to shore up after the acquisitions of Reed and Jennings. Over the last two seasons, he returned 31 kickoffs for 894 yards, including a 94-yarder for a touchdown. Jennings would unlikely see the field on a consistent basis, but having him as insurance on special teams would be a plus (assuming Reed wins the starting job).