Colts worked out WR Jarvis Landry among several players

Here are the eight players the Indianapolis Colts worked out Tuesday, including WR Jarvis Landry.

The Indianapolis Colts held a workout for several players Tuesday, including five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

The Colts wound up signing one player from the group of workouts, and it’s clear they had an eye to find a potential return specialist, which is likely why they signed Jaydon Mickens to the practice squad.

The Colts still have one more spot open on the active roster after suspending Isaiah McKenzie and Tony Brown for conduct detrimental to the team so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they added another player from this group.

Here’s a look at the eight players the Colts worked out Tuesday:

Texas A&M offered two productive defensive tackles from the Transfer Portal

Texas A&M has offered former Youngstown DT Anthony Johnson and former Penn DT Joey Slackman from the transfer portal.

Texas A&M and head coach Mike Elko have continued to attack the transfer portal amid losing more than a dozen players once the portal opened just a week ago, already adding former Kansas State CB Will Lee and former Old Dominion WR Javon Harvey this week.

Sustaining several losses on the defensive line, including the departures of defensive tackles Walter Nolen and Fadil Diggs, both players could return. Still, from the looks of it, it isn’t very certain. In need of immediate starting experience, Elko has fielded multiple offers to Youngstown State DT Anthony Johnson and U Penn DT Joey Slackman, both underrated yet highly productive players with one year of eligibility remaining.

During the 2023 season, Johnson, who has received much interest in the portal, recorded 25 tackles, four sacks, 6.5 tackles, and a fumble recovery.

In contrast, Joey Slackman’s final season in the Ivy League included earning Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year after recording 50 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and four sacks. For those who don’t know, Mike Elko is a U Penn alum. With new defensive line coach Sean Spencer taking over, Johnson and Slackman are working toward NFL futures, and with Spencer’s incredible track record over the years, this could be the perfect fit.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty.

Transfer portal: Anthony Johnson is on an official visit to Rutgers football

Anthony Johnson is on an official visit to Rutgers football.

Youngstown State defensive tackle Anthony Johnson is currently taking an official visit to Rutgers football. Johnson could potentially fit a huge area of need for the Scarlet Knights.

Last season for the Penguins, Johnson had 22 total tackles with four sacks and a fumble recovery. He is a 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive lineman.

He was offered by Rutgers on Dec. 5. Since entering the transfer portal last week, he also pulled in offers from Houston, Illinois, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, SMU and Wisconsin among others.

Johnson would likely step into the role being left by Isaiah Iton, a defensive tackle who transferred to Rutgers last offseason. At Youngstown State, he showed very well, moving fluidly in the interior.

He is solid in his gap assignments and is able to collapse the pocket. This fall in a loss at Ohio State, Johnson had two total tackles.

Iton’s performance for Rutgers was very strong and likely helped his NFL draft stock. He had 33 total tackles this season including a half-sack and a fumble recovery.

 

 

Rutgers football: Transfer portal defensive tackle Anthony Johnson gets offered

Rutgers football offers Anthony Johnson out of the transfer portal.

Youngstown State defensive tackle Anthony Johnson pulled in an offer from Rutgers football on Tuesday. Johnson is racking up Power Five offers after an impressive season in the MAC.

He has one year of eligibility left.

A 6-foot-3, 295-pound interior defensive lineman, Johnson is coming off a season where he had 22 total tackles and four sacks along with a fumble recovery.

In early September at Ohio State during a non-conference game, he had two total tackles as Youngstown State lost 35-7.

Since entering the transfer portal this week, Johnson has been offered by a wide range of programs including Illinois, Memphis, Michigan State, SMU and Wisconsin among others.

 

Last year in the transfer portal, Rutgers nabbed a defensive tackle in Isaiah Iton from Ole Miss.

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With a similar build (6-foot-3, 290 pounds) to Johnson, Iton came to Rutgers because of his relationship with defensive line coach Marquise Watson. In search of playing time, Iton found plenty of that in the Big Ten.

He put together a lot of quality film during his one season at Rutgers, going for 33 total tackles and half-a-sack as well as fumble recovery and a pass defended.

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Iton’s best game of the season came against Ohio State, where he had five total tackles. Rutgers took a 9-7 lead into halftime against the Buckeyes, who at that time were the top-ranked team in the nation.

 

Jason Jackson thought of late friend Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson during Bellator 301 knockout sequence

At Bellator 301, Jason Jackson couldn’t help but channel the power of his late friend Anthony Johnson as he pounded his way to title gold.

CHICAGO – Almost one year to the day of [autotag]Anthony Johnson[/autotag]’s death, [autotag]Jason Jackson[/autotag] felt his friend “Rumble” was in the cage with him as he pounded his way to victory and Bellator welterweight gold.

A former UFC title challenger, Johnson died in November 2022 following a battle with a serious illness. Alongside Johnson, Jackson (17-4 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) manned the frequently rebranded Kill Cliff FC squad, dating back to its days as “The Blackzilians” camp.

As Jackson pounded out Yaroslav Amosov (27-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) at Bellator 301 to become the promotion’s 170-pound titleholder, “Rumble” entered his mind.

“‘Rumble’ is not just a captain. He’s an idol to me, Rumble,” Jackson told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “It just reminded me of when he knocked Glover Teixeira out with the uppercut. He’s just vicious and violent. That’s just what I thought when I was in the moment. I hit him with that first uppercut and I was like, get him with another one. Rest in peace, ‘Rumble.’ I love you.”

Jackson, 33, did not have a linear journey to his first major promotional title, but his road proved effective. After stops on Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter,” as well as regional appearances in LFA, Titan FC, Victory FC, and more, Jackson finally found consistency under the Bellator banner.

It’s been a long yet worthwhile journey for the Jamaica-born Floridian.

“It means everything to me and my family because now this great now this creates opportunity to make a better living for my family,” Jackson said. “It just makes all the non-believers into believers. I have a belt to show my country that yes, Jason Jackson can be champ anywhere he goes. It’s just a matter of time before he becomes the best welterweight on this planet.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 301.

Packers rookie S Anthony Johnson Jr. ready for possible start vs. Rams

The Packers may have to turn to rookie Anthony Johnson Jr. at safety on Sunday vs. the Rams.

With Rudy Ford questionable for Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams and Darnell Savage still on IR, the Green Bay Packers may have to rely on seventh-round rookie Anthony Johnson to start next to Jonathan Owens.

Ford was a full participant during Wednesday’s practice but then was limited on Thursday with a calf injury and he missed Friday’s practice.

Even with a full-blown competition taking place at safety over the summer for that starting spot next to Savage, Johnson spent most of his time playing with the second-team defense and often the third team. Not only is he a seventh-round rookie making the jump to the NFL, but this is also only his second season at the position, after spending his first four seasons at Iowa State playing cornerback.

“There is a few things, I won’t get into specifics, that I’m still kind of learning,” Johnson said on Friday. “There’s even things like, I told my old DB coach, Coach Broomfield, stuff that he taught me last year, I’m just now getting like ‘Oh that’s what he meant,’ and going to RD (Ryan Downard), and I’m like ‘Oh okay,’ and it’s clicking. It’s fun, that’s what makes it fun about the transition.

“Angles to the ball,” added Johnson when asked what those ‘specifics’ were. “Angles out the post and stuff like that. So that’s something that I’ve been working on and it’s been good.”

Johnson was inactive for the Packers’ first five games of the season. I imagine that as a late-round pick making this jump, in an ideal world from Green Bay’s perspective, this would almost would have been like a red-shirt season for Johnson. However, due to Savage being placed on IR, he has seen his role increase over the last two weeks, where he has not only been active, but has played 18 special teams snaps and eight on defense when Green Bay has been in dime and has three safeties on the field.

“It’s kind of wild because you go from inactive to right into the action,” said Johnson. “As far as the preparations piece, when you prepare like I do, you just step right in. Even when I was inactive I was still getting the call, and going through checks, I was playing the game on the sideline. I wasn’t standing on the sideline by everybody, I was playing the game on the sideline. So when I do get the opportunity I can step in and the defense doesn’t skip a beat and I know the flow of the game.”

Safeties coach Ryan Downard has discussed previously that he wants both of his safeties to be interchangeable, able to to play down in the box or in the post as a coverage defender. With this element, it becomes difficult for opposing offenses to decipher pre-snap what is taking place and what the specific responsibility of each safety will be.

During his one season as a safety at Iowa State, Johnson played 258 box snaps, according to PFF, 245 from the slot, and 74 as a free safety. His potential running mate, Jonathan Owens, took some lumps in coverage against Minnesota last week and in his one year as a starter with Houston, stood out more so for his tackling ability than what he did in coverage.

How Green Bay goes about pairing these two, as far as who has what specific responsibilities, whether that be in coverage or playing closer to the line of scrimmage, remains to be seen. For what it’s worth, Johnson did mention that he was working on his angles out of the post, which could tell us that he will take on more of the coverage responsibilities during Sunday’s game if called upon. Either way, my guess is that there won’t be a lot of changing of roles between the two throughout the game, given Johnson’s inexperience.

“It’s been a good transition,” said Johnson of the jump to the NFL. “I would say. It’s been a lot different than what I expected, in a good way. As far as vets helping you out. I may have mentioned before that I got a lot of guys that are in my corner and have been helping me since I stepped in the building. So I’m grateful for my room that I have.”

Along with there being question marks at safety, there are some unknowns at cornerback as well. Along with Rasul Douglas being in Buffalo, Jaire Alexander has been dealing with a back injury and Eric Stokes is on IR. Fellow rookie seventh-round pick Carrington Valentine is presumably in line for the start with Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell – two practice squad players as of last week – as the backups.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is listed as questionable with a thumb injury. If he can’t go it will be Brett Rypien, but regardless of the quarterback, the Rams have a trio of receivers that can make plays. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp have been dynamic on short to intermediate routes where they get the ball in space and pick up yards after the catch (YAC), while Tutu Atwell has been one of the NFL’s more productive downfield targets this season.

Owens and potentially Johnson are going to be tasked with not letting Atwell, or any of these receivers for that matter, get behind them, while also having to be very willing to play downhill and be sound tacklers to limit any YAC potential. Trusting their eyes, diagnosing what they see, and then reacting accordingly will be paramount to not only being position to make a play, but also not being out of position, which can lead to a blown assignment.

“Obviously it would mean a lot,” said Johnson, “from the aspect of go from something you dreamed about doing and then you’re there and being able to run out the tunnel, that would be a good part of it.”

Saints add WR Shaquan Davis to injured reserve, open more practice squad spots

The Saints added rookie wide receiver Shaquan Davis to injured reserve, opening more practice squad spots by releasing cornerback Anthony Johnson:

You hate to see this. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Shaquan Davis is out of commission after being placed on injured reserve Monday, though the specific injury he’s dealing with has not been disclosed (teams are not required to list them on the injury report like players on the 53-man roster). Davis quickly won over the fanbase during the Saints’ preseason games with his combination of size, speed, and acrobatic catches, but he wasn’t able to win a roster spot.

Still, the team liked him enough to bring him back to the practice squad. But now he’s dealing with an injury and has to go on the mend. Practice injuries aren’t common in the NFL, but they do happen, and right now the Saints have two practice squad players on injured reserve between Davis and veteran linebacker Ryan Connelly (who aggravated a preseason knee injury in September). Hopefully they can both heal up and get back on the field to develop their craft.

But this wasn’t the only move the Saints made with their practice squad. They also released rookie cornerback Anthony Johnson. New Orleans signed several veteran corners to the practice squad in recent weeks like Cameron Dantzler and Faion Hicks, both of whom had more experience than Johnson as an undrafted first-year pro. Both guys must have shown more in practice to warrant a longer look.

Take these two moves with backup offensive lineman Tommy Kraemer signing with the 53-man roster last week (only to be waived on Monday) and the Saints currently have three open spots on the 16-man practice squad. Expect Kraemer to return should he clear waivers, but New Orleans could be hosting free agent tryouts in the near future with so many vacancies.

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Saints rookies A.T. Perry, Anthony Johnson cleared for training camp

New Orleans Saints rookies A.T. Perry and Anthony Johnson passed their physicals, meaning they are cleared for training camp practice:

Here’s good news: New Orleans Saints rookies A.T. Perry and Anthony Johnson passed their physicals on Wednesday, meaning they are cleared for training camp practice. Perry was a full participant on Wednesday’s first practice session, whereas Johnson was spotted working on his own off to the side under supervision of team medical staff.

Perry, a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft out of Wake Forest, is looking to make a name for himself in the crowded Saints receiving corps. He’ll be competing with veterans like Bryan Edwards and his fellow rookie Shaquan Davis (South Carolina State) for the job of backing up Michael Thomas.

Johnson, an undrafted signing from Virginia, faces long odds of standing out in the talented New Orleans secondary. He has the physical tools the Saints look for but he’ll need to prove he can make plays on special teams and outwork established pros including Isaac Yiadom, Troy Pride Jr., and Adrian Frye in hopes of making the roster.

These two activations mean the Saints no longer have any players on their injury lists — the physically unable to perform (PUP), non-football injury (NFI), and injured reserve units are all clear. Injuries are inevitable in a violent sport like pro football, but in the meantime we’ll make sure to not take this for granted.

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Saints report perfect attendance at first training camp practice

The Saints reported perfect attendance at their first training camp practice, with just one player sidelined by an injury:

Now that’s what you like to see: all 90 players under contract with the New Orleans Saints participated at the team’s first training camp practice on Wednesday, as head coach Dennis Allen said would be the case in his opening press conference on Tuesday.

And just one player was sidelined by an injury — undrafted rookie Anthony Johnson. Still on the PUP list, the cornerback out of Virginia was spotted working off to the side while he continues to recover from an undisclosed injury suffered during minicamp practices earlier this year.

But everyone else was able to participate in team drills, including wide receiver Michael Thomas and other players returning from season-ending injuries in 2022, such as right guard Cesar Ruiz and left tackle Trevor Penning (both of whom were limited while recovering from foot surgeries). Rookie sixth-round pick A.T. Perry was also practicing with his teammates which suggests he’ll be formally removed from the NFI list later Wednesday afternoon. Let’s hope this streak of good health continues as intensity ramps up during training camp.

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Two Saints draft picks pass their physicals in time for training camp

Two New Orleans Saints draft picks passed their physicals in time for training camp, as did a couple of veteran teammates:

This is good news: four New Orleans Saints players passed their physicals to open training camp on the field with their teammates rather than on the sidelines with an injury designation, including a pair of draft picks. The only players remaining on the injury lists are sixth-round wide receiver A.T. Perry (non-football injury) and undrafted rookie cornerback Anthony Johnson (physically unable to perform).

Third-round running back Kendre Miller was held out of spring training sessions after a late-season meniscus injury in 2022, but he’ll be active at training camp from the first day. That’s also the case for fourth-round offensive lineman Nick Saldiveri, who injured his lower leg during organized team activities. He’s now recovered and medically cleared to return to practice.

Here are the four players who were activated on Monday: