Tag: Andre Smith

Former Bills LB Andre Smith signs with Titans

Former #Bills LB Andre Smith signs with #Titans:

Former Buffalo Bills linebacker Andre Smith has signed on with the Tennessee Titans on Tuesday.

His representation, Steinway Sports, announced the news via their social media account on Twitter.

Per Titans Wire, Smith had a workout in Tennessee last week with a slew of other players.

Smith, 25, was released by Buffalo on Oct. 18.

On that same day, Smith was allowed to rejoin the Bills. He had successfully served a six-game suspension. Upon being reinstated, Buffalo had a decision: Stay or go? The team opted to cut him.

Smith’s infraction was performance enhancing drug (PED) related. Smith was suspended by the NFL in June for a failed test the prior November. He had claimed his innocence since.

The Bills originally traded for Smith in 2019. During his tenure in Buffalo, he contributed on special teams.

Titans Wire reports that the signing of Smith comes on the heels of Tennessee losing linebacker Zach Cunningham for at least four games after he was placed on injured reserve prior to Week 10.

Fellow Titans linebacker David Long also suffered a stinger injury during their victory over the Denver Broncos last weekend.

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Titans signing linebacker Andre Smith to practice squad

The Titans are adding a linebacker ahead of Week 11.

The Tennessee Titans are adding a linebacker to their practice squad ahead of the Week 11 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

According to his agent, via Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the Titans are signing linebacker Andre Smith to the practice squad after a recent workout last week.

Here’s a little of what we wrote on Smith after news broke of his workout:

Smith was a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2018 and has played in 46 games (no starts) over four seasons, two with the Panthers and two with the Buffalo Bills. The North Carolina product has recorded 27 tackles and forced and recovered one fumble.

Smith was most recently on the Buffalo Bills but was cut after serving a six-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

The signing of Smith comes on the heels of Tennessee losing linebacker Zach Cunningham for at least four games after he was placed on injured reserve prior to Week 10.

Fellow linebacker David Long also suffered a stinger injury during the victory over the Denver Broncos, leaving his status up in the air for Thursday’s game against the Packers.

The good news is Long was listed as limited on the Titans’ Monday injury report, although that was an estimation.

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Titans worked out pair of linebackers on Friday

The Titans reportedly worked out a pair of linebackers on Friday.

The Tennessee Titans reportedly took a look at a pair of inside linebackers on Friday.

According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2, the Titans brought in linebackers Jordan Evans and Andre Smith for a workout on Friday.

A former sixth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017, Evans appeared in 65 games over five seasons with Cincy, starting nine of them. He has totaled 127 tackles (six for loss), 3.5 sacks and seven passes defensed.

Smith was a seventh-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2018 and has played in 46 games (no starts) over four seasons, two with the Panthers and two with the Buffalo Bills. The North Carolina product has recorded 27 tackles and forced and recovered one fumble.

Neither Evans nor Smith have suited up in a game this season.

Hopefully this isn’t a sign that linebacker Zach Cunningham will miss more time. Cunningham has been plagued by an elbow injury that forced him to miss three games earlier in the season.

The veteran returned to action in Week 8 against the Houston Texans and suited up in Week 9 versus the Kansas City Chiefs but is back on the injury report this week and hasn’t practiced yet.

You can check out Tennessee’s latest injury report right here.

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Bills release LB Andre Smith, who saw his suspension just end

#Bills release LB Andre Smith, who saw his suspension just end:

Andre Smith has learned his fate with the Buffalo Bills following the end of his suspension. It’s not one he would have hoped for.

The team announced on Monday that Smith has been released.

On the same day, Smith was allowed to rejoin the Bills. He had successfully served his six-game suspension. Upon being reinstated, Buffalo had a decision: Stay or go? The team opted to release him.

Smith’s infraction was performance enhancing drug (PED) related. Smith was suspended by the NFL in June for a failed test the prior November. He had claimed his innocence since, but now has a chance to resume his football career elsewhere.

However, there is a chance that Smith returns to the Bills on their practice squad after he was let go if he clears the wavier wire.

For now, Smith posted this message on his social media account via Twitter. Take it for what you will:

In 2021, Smith played in 68 percent of Buffalo’s snaps on special teams. The Bills ranked second in kickoff return average allowed last year and third in punt return average allowed.

In August 2020, the Bills traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for Smith. That selection is still active, as it’ll be a 2023 pick.

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10 takeaways from Brandon Beane at the start of Bills training camp

10 takeaways from Brandon Beane at the start of #Bills training camp:

The Buffalo Bills began their 2022 training camp adventure on Sunday. Prior to that first workout, general manager Brandon Beane gave one of his handful of press conferences he delivers throughout the year.

Considering Beane’s discussions are less frequent than most with the team, it’s always important to take what we can from his pressers.

With that, here are 10 takeaways from Beane at Bills training camp:

Bills’ Andre Smith reacts to suspension, does not agree with ruling

#Bills’ Andre Smith reacts to suspension, does not agree with ruling:

Buffalo Bills linebacker Andre Smith does not agree with the decision to suspend him.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Smith was suspended by the league for performance enhancing drug (PED) usage. It’s six games in length.

In wake of the news, Smith has proclaimed his innocence. He said via his social media account on Twitter that he has been trying to “prove his innocence” regarding whatever unfolded.

Here’s his message below:

It’s unclear if there will be any appeal process involving Smith’s suspension at this time.

In August 2020, the Bills traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for Smith. That selection is still active, as it’ll be a 2023 pick.

Since joining the Bills, Smith has mostly made contributions to Buffalo’s special teams unit. During his two seasons with the Bills, Smith has played in 62 and 68 percent of special teams snaps each year, respectively.

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Bills LB Andre Smith suspended for six games

#Bills LB Andre Smith suspended for six games:

Linebacker Andre Smith from the Buffalo Bills has been suspended for the first six games of the 2022 NFL season.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the infraction was performance enhancing drug (PED) related.

In August 2020, the Bills traded a conditional seventh-round pick to the Carolina Panthers for Smith. That selection is still active, as it’ll be a 2023 pick.

Since joining the Bills, Smith has mostly made contributions to Buffalo’s special teams unit. During his two seasons with the Bills, Smith has played in 62 and 68 percent of special teams snaps each year, respectively.

While suspended, Smith can still practice with the team during training camp and he can take part in Buffalo’s preseason games.

Once the regular season rolls around, the Bills coaching staff will then have to take Smith’s suspension into account.

Buffalo drafted the likes of  Terrel Bernard (Round 3) and Baylon Spector (Round 7) at the 2022 NFL draft who might push Smith for playing time on special teams. Both Bernard and Spector are linebackers, however, with the nature of special teams, Smith will have to battle with depth players from other positions for a roster spot as well.

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Ravens make roster moves involving three players on Monday

The Ravens made roster moves involving three players on Monday

The Baltimore Ravens have done plenty of roster shuffling this season with how many injuries they’ve sustained on both sides of the football. The team has put together an impressive 5-2 record through eight weeks, finding ways to win with contributions not only from their stars, but from plenty of unsung heroes as well.

On Monday, Baltimore announced roster moves involving three of their players in tight end Eric Tomlinson, offensive tackle Andre Smith and inside linebacker Malik Harrison. The Ravens first announced that they had moved Tomlinson to the practice squad, which involved releasing him and then re-singing him to the practice squad.

Shortly after, the team announced that they had placed Harrison on the reserve/non-football injury list while placing Smith on the Practice squad reserve/injured list.

Harrison was hit by a stray bullet in Cleveland, and his placement on the reserve/non-football injury list means that he’ll miss at least then next three weeks as he recovers.

It’s unclear what Smith was put on the practice squad reserve/injured list for, but he is currently out of practice squad elevations.

 

Bills’ Sean McDermott costly penalties: ‘Discipline is important’

#Bills’ Sean McDermott costly penalties: ‘Discipline is important’

The Buffalo Bills came up short against the Tennessee Titans 31-34 on Monday Night Football during NFL Week 6 in Nashville.

Both teams fought hard and made some highlight-worthy plays, but in the end, the Bills would lose the game on an unsuccessful fourth-down conversion attempt at the goal line. But the final score reflected more than just the broken-up play.

Wide receiver and return man Isaiah McKenzie opened the Bills’ final drive by taking the kick-off catch 101 yards for a touchdown that would have given the Bills the lead in the final three minutes of the game.

The touchdown would have done just that, had it not been for an offensive holding penalty on Bills linebacker Andre Smith all the way back at the Buffalo 28 yard line that nullified the electric score by Mckenzie.

This after a long day that saw missed red zone opportunities, missed tackles, and penalties that added up and, in the end, proved costly.

After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott was asked about the impact of those penalties on the outcome.

“They’re big,” McDermott said during his post-game press conference. “It comes back to making sure we’re using the right technique, and moving our feet, using our hands, getting our hands inside.”

Two of those penalties cost Buffalo touchdowns, the holding call on Smith as well as another holding call in the second quarter on Bills WR Emmanuel Sanders that nullified a running touchdown by tight end Dawson Knox.

Those scores would have made a difference in the score in those final minutes, giving Buffalo a better chance to win.

“You know, discipline, discipline is important if you want to be a good football team,” he added. “The red zone, the turnover, you know the difference of points right there, that’s a potentially different game.”

And for McDermott, it came down to learning from those mistakes.

“We got to learn from that and get better, and then we’ve got to fix some things on defense as well, and then penalties overall. You know we can’t kill ourselves with penalties like that.”

Those comments on penalties and discipline echoed a similar remark the coach made after a game against the Titans during this same week of last season, in which he said “I can handle aggressive penalties but I can’t handle lack of discipline penalties.“

The Bills will have plenty of time to think about the tough loss and to learn from the tape, as they enter their bye week. The Coach and his players will roll up their sleeves and get back to work ahead of a Week 8 matchup with their AFC East Division rival Miami Dolphins in Orchard Park on October 31st.

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Ravens elevate two practice squad players to active roster for Week 6 game vs. Chargers

The Ravens elevated two practice squad players to their active roster ahead of their Week 6 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers

The Baltimore Ravens are set to face the Los Angeles Chargers in what should be an exciting Week 6 matchup. Both teams boast 4-1 records and will be looking to pick up their fifth win on the 2021 season.

In order to win on Sunday, Baltimore will have to get key contributions from many players on their roster, not just their stars. Ahead of the game, the Ravens announced that they had elevated two players from their practice squad to their active roster in running back Le’Veon Bell and offensive lineman Andre Smith.

This will mark Bell’s second appearance with Baltimore, as he was also called up from the practice squad for the team’s Week 4 game against the Denver Broncos. He has four carries for 11 yards on the year.

Smith will provide tackle depth in the event that Alejandro Villanueva can’t play with a knee injury that he’s currently working through. If Villanueva is unable to play, Smith could draw the start at left tackle.