Tag: Andre Roberts

Giants working out James Proche, Andre Roberts

The New York Giants are working out wide receivers, James Proche and Andre Roberts, on Tuesday in East Rutherford.

The New York Giants will hold their weekly workouts on Tuesday and wide receiver James Proche will be among the group in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler was the first to report Proche’s workout.

The 26-year-old Proche was a sixth-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020 NFL draft and had spent his entire three-year career with the team before being released as a part of final cuts.

In 43 career games, Proche has hauled in 25 receptions for 278 yards and 14 first downs. He also sees a lot of action in special teams, returning 27 punts for 222 yards and two kickoffs for 22 yards.

In addition to Porche, the Giants are also working out wide receiver Andre Roberts.

The 35-year-old Roberts was a third-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2010 NFL draft. He’s also played for the Washington Commanders, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers.

Roberts is a prolific return man who’s been to three Pro Bowls and been named an All-Pro three times.

The Giants have needs along the offensive line, at cornerback and in the secondary, but don’t really have a glaring need at receiver. However, head coach Brian Daboll & Co. seem to be looking for an alternate option at returner after rookie running back Eric Gray fielded just one punt for seven yards on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

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List of Panthers 2023 free agents who remain unsigned

2023 Panthers free agents who remain unsigned

The Carolina Panthers re-signed two of their own free agents before closing out the month of May—offensive tackle Cameron Erving and guard Michael Jordan. But there remains a handful of the team’s players from the 2022 roster who are currently out on the open market.

Here are those seven free agents . . .

Panthers activate CB Josh Norman, WR Andre Roberts for Week 17

Josh Norman remains on track for his 2022 debut, as the Panthers officially elevated the 11th-year CB ahead of Sunday’s showdown against the Buccaneers.

Now, he’s officially, officially back!

As expected and as announced by the team on Saturday afternoon, the Carolina Panthers have elevated cornerback Josh Norman from the practice squad to the active roster. The 11th-year veteran will provide some depth for Sunday’s huge Week 17 showdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the Panthers will be without their No. 1 corner Jaycee Horn.

On Friday, interim head coach Steve Wilks couldn’t give an exact amount of snaps the 35-year-old Norman will play, but put a soft cap on his availability.

“Really can’t say the number of reps that he will play,” Wilks said. “I know he will probably not exceed 25 max. So the number that he will play, I can’t tell you that.”

Norman last played back on Jan. 30, 2022, when he played eight snaps (all on special teams) for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Panthers have also activated wide receiver and return specialist Andre Roberts. Roberts, who has missed the past 14 games with a knee injury and an illness, was designated to return from injured reserve on Dec. 20.

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Panthers WR/KR Andre Roberts designated to return from IR

On Tuesday, the Panthers designated WR/KR Andre Roberts to return from IR.

With three games left to go in what’ll be a mad dash (or at least some kind of dash) towards the NFC South title, the Carolina Panthers could certainly use a boost. And maybe they can get one from a three-time Pro Bowler.

On Tuesday, the team designated wide receiver Andre Roberts to return from injured reserve. The decorated return specialist will now have 21 days to be moved back to the active roster.

Roberts was placed on IR following the season opener back on Sept. 13. In his lone game in 2022, the 34-year-old returned two kickoffs for a total of 35 yards and one punt for 10 yards in a 26-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Fellow wideout Shi Smith and running Raheem Blackshear have taken up the bulk of responsibilities in Roberts’ place. Smith currently leads the Panthers in punt returns, as he’s fielded 20 tries for a combined 143 yards, while Blackshear has recorded 15 kickoff returns for a total of 413 yards.

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Who will return punts for the Panthers in Week 2?

With Andre Roberts on the IR and Shi Smith suddenly questionable, how deep will the Panthers have to dig to find their punt returner for Week 2?

As they did last season with specialist Alex Erickson, the Carolina Panthers didn’t address their punt return duties lightly in 2022. They got themselves the real deal when they signed Andre Roberts back in May.

Roberts, who had earned three All-Pro nods and three Pro Bowl selections as a returner, brought a proven track record to the position—a quality that essentially secured him a spot on the team’s 53-man roster. Just one week in, however, the 34-year-old is already off that roster and on the injured reserve.

So, with Roberts set to miss about two months’ time, who’s the next man up? Heck, is that man even on the team right now?

He still could be Shi Smith, who was the clear favorite as Roberts’ replacement all week. But if Smith, a late arrival on the Week 2 injury report, is also down with his groin issue—then who?

Early indications, at least for this upcoming matchup against the New York Giants, points towards fellow wideouts DJ Moore and Laviska Shenault Jr.—as both were spotted fielding punts in practice on Friday. Plus, the Panthers, with Roberts on the IR, still have just 52 men on their active program—leaving them room for one more addition.

The smart money, though, should be on Moore. As much as you probably don’t want your No. 1 receiver thrown into a high-risk situation, one that can cause yet another injury, the fifth-year veteran is the most experienced punt returner on the squad.

Moore has recorded 12 punt returns in the NFL, with 11 of them coming during his first two seasons. He’s averaged an unspectacular 6.8 yards per take with a career-best run of 16 yards.

If they opt for Shenault Jr., who would be making his team debut in that case, they’re opting for a huge unknown. Although his bread and butter comes with the ball in his hands, he has not registered a punt return between both his professional and collegiate careers.

Shenault Jr.’s only recent experience in such a spot, besides returning a fumbled punt for a 55-yard touchdown at the University of Colorado in 2019, has come between this summer and now. And, quite frankly, the summer didn’t go too well for him there.

While it would be somewhat exciting to see one of Carolina’s newest acquisitions finally out on that field, or even to see a new name enter the fray, perhaps it’s the familiar face that has the edge with so little time left until Sunday. So, hopefully for head coach Matt Rhule, Smith really is on the “positive side of questionable.”

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Panthers place WR/KR Andre Roberts on IR

The Panthers have now placed WR/KR Andre Roberts, who sustained a knee injury this past weekend, on the IR.

During his media availability on Monday, Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule didn’t seem very optimistic about the status of Andre Roberts. Now, we know why.

As announced by the team 24 hours after Rhule spoke with reporters, Roberts has been placed on the injured reserve. The 34-year-old wide receiver and returner is expected to miss “considerable time” upon sustaining a knee injury during Week 1’s 26-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Roberts was signed to a one-year deal this offseason, with hopes of solidifying the return role on special teams. Sunday saw the 13th-year veteran field a pair of kickoffs for a total of 35 yards along with a punt return of 10 yards.

Rhule, when asked of a potential replacement, seemed confident in handing over the responsibilities to fellow wideout Shi Smith. Expect the second-year wideout—who took reps on special teams during the summer—to fill the void left behind by Roberts on punts, with running back Chuba Hubbard as another possible option for kicks.

The Panthers, additionally, made a swap on their practice squad earlier in the day—releasing kicker Taylor Bertolet and bringing back tight end Josh Babicz.

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Biggest takeaways from Panthers’ 1st practice of 2022 training camp

A few key competitions helped kick off the first practice of 2022 Carolina Panthers training camp.

An interesting season kicked off with an interesting first day of training camp for the Carolina Panthers. Here are the top takeaways from the opening practice down in Spartanburg, S.C.

Panthers sign KR/WR Andre Roberts to one-year deal

After the completion of the 2022 NFL draft, Panthers GM Scott Fitterer said he still wanted to find a return specialist. Well, he found one and it’s Andre Roberts.

After sending in his team’s final pick of the 2022 NFL draft on Saturday, Carolina Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer was asked what he’d be looking for next as he pivoted to the open market.

“I’d say return specialist,” he said to ESPN’s David Newton. “We need someone to emerge in that area. We have some people on our team that can do it. But we’ll look into free agency and some other places, too, for a return specialist.”

Well, they might be done looking already.

On Monday evening, the Panthers announced they’ve agreed to a one-year deal with Andre Roberts. A wide receiver by trade, Roberts has established himself as one of the premier returners in the game.

Over his 12-year career, the 5-foot-11, 195-pounder has fielded 258 kicks and 215 punts, with three scores apiece on each end. Roberts’ work has helped him rack up three Pro Bowl selections, one First-team All-Pro nods and a pair of Second-team All-Pro nods from 2020 and 2021.

The Columbia, S.C. native is also the first player from The Citadel to become a Carolina Panther.

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Takeaways from Chargers GM Tom Telesco’s press conference at NFL Scouting Combine

Here’s what Chargers GM Tom Telesco said at his media availability at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine.

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco held a press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine, where he discussed the roster’s state as it stands and several items about their upcoming offseason.

Here are some of the top takeaways from the session with reporters:

Tight-lipped Tom

Telesco is notorious for not giving out too much information regarding future plans, and it was no different this time around. Specifically, when asked about whether or not the Chargers would pick up Jerry Tillery’s fifth-year option this offseason, Telesco made it clear that all the contract plans will be talked about down the road, adding the team is just focused on the Combine.

Mike Williams

Williams is the Chargers’ hottest commodity, as it remains to be seen if he will be franchise tagged, re-signed to a long-term extension, or let go of. By no surprise, Telesco did not offer much information. “No updates right now. I talked about after the season what an impact he makes on our football team.” However, when asked if he’d prefer to extend Williams, he said, “Sure, the preference would be that.”

Continuing to build around Justin Herbert

Herbert has proven that he is the real deal, and now the team must do whatever it takes to get the most optimal supporting cast to make a run. Telesco concurs. “I want to make sure on offense we don’t take a step back,” adding the goal is to protect Herbert and find him more weapons.  Whether or not Williams is back, the Chargers need to add a speed/yards-after-catch receiver and a starting right tackle.

Has the resources

The Chargers are set to enter this offseason with $56.3 million in salary-cap space, the third-most in the NFL. While retaining their own takes priority, Telesco feels like they can make some splash signings in free agency. “We can be aggressive in free agency because we have the cap space and a quarterback on a rookie deal”

Bryan Bulaga

Telesco said that Bryan Bulaga’s future with the Chargers is “undetermined right now.” After signing to a three-year deal, Bulaga played just 20.7% of the possible offensive snaps because of injuries in his first two seasons with the team. If released, they would create $10.8 million in cap space.

The tight end position

Telesco addressed the state of the tight end position, highlighting that he liked what the young players, Donald Parham, Stephen Anderson and Tre’ McKitty, were able to do. However, he added “that room may not be complete right now,” suggesting the team may look to free agency or the draft to add another player. Further, it is unclear if Jared Cook, a pending free agent, will be re-signed or not.

Backup to Austin Ekeler is a priority

The Chargers were able to get a lot out of Ekeler, who totaled 20 touchdowns. But the production out of the guys behind him was underwhelming. Justin Jackson flashed when he was on the field, but injuries derailed him. Now a pending free agent, the chances of him being back are slim. On the other hand, Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree did not do much when they were called upon. “We need more from that spot for our offense to continue to evolve,” Telesco said. As opposed to relying on the draft, adding someone with a proven resume via free agency may be the best bet.

Solidifying special teams

While the majority of the attention is on what the Chargers will do to address the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, shoring up the special teams units is just vital, as kicker Dustin Hopkins, returner Andre Roberts and gunner Ryan Smith are all pending free agents. Telesco emphasized that new special teams coordinator Ryan Ficken will be heavily involved in the process to improve that unit. Ficken recently served as the Vikings ST coordinator and worked with notable guys like Cordarrelle Patterson in the past.

Chargers hire Ryan Ficken as special teams coordinator

The Chargers have a new special teams coordinator.

After allowing time for the dust of the 2021 season to settle, it became clear that the Chargers needed help in the special teams department. Fast.

Los Angeles announced Thursday that Ryan Ficken will join the staff as the team’s new special teams coordinator. The hiring was initially reported by Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.

Ficken replaces Derius Swinton II after just a single season.

Ficken has spent the last eight years as an assistant special teams coach with the Minnesota Vikings. Ficken also served on the Vikings staff as wide receivers and running backs coach from 2007-12. He was a graduate assistant at UCLA before starting his career coaching professional football.

Pelissero also mentioned the Vikings originally blocked Ficken from interviewing, but persistence from the Chargers resulted in him being allowed to pursue the opportunity.

On the offensive side of the ball, things were sound. Kick returner Andre Roberts ranked first in the league with a 32.8-yard return average. Placekicker Dustin Hopkins made 18 of 20 field goals and 30 of 32 extra points after he was picked up by the team in Week 8. 

However, Los Angeles ranked last in net punting last season. Starter Ty Long averaged 36.8 yards per boot on 47 attempts, pinning just 11 inside the 20-yard line. 

Under Ficken’s oversight on the Vikings, kicker Greg Joseph led the NFC and ranked fifth in the league with 33 made field goals. Punter Jordan Berry finished the season 13th in net punt average. Minnesota churned out a second-place finish in kick return average and scored twice on kickoffs.

Based on how highly the Chargers viewed Ficken and their efforts to draw him away from the Vikings, expect him to stabilize a unit that was wildly inconsistent and turn it into an asset.