Tag: Arizona State Football

Saints sign a free agent wide receiver, but it’s not Antonio Brown

The New Orleans Saints signed free agent wide receiver Tim White to their practice squad following a group tryout involving Antonio Brown.

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The New Orleans Saints created a stir last weekend following a group tryout involving six different free agent wide receivers, notably including four-time All-Pro Antonio Brown. A few days later, the Saints signed one of the receivers they worked out, but it wasn’t Brown.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Saints practice squad added Tim White, a third-year pro out of Arizona State. White (5-foot-10, 175 pounds) initially spent the 2017 and 2018 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad before joining the New York Jets’ offseason 90-man roster in 2019. He was waived during final roster cuts and had been a free agent until the Saints signed him.

New Orleans had a vacancy on their practice squad after having promoted rookie wideout Lil’Jordan Humphrey to the active roster (replacing Krishawn Hogan, who ended his year on injured reserve), and several of the free agents they tried out practice squad-eligible.

That’s something Saints coach Sean Payton emphasized in his post-tryout media availability last Friday, when asked whether Brown’s involvement in the group workout prompted any plans to sign him: “No, not now. We had six guys in today, really. Six receivers that we worked out and a few of them are practice squad eligible. A few of them are veteran players. We worked them out, giving them physicals, mainly doing our due diligence on all of those players.” So far, all of the Saints’ actions following that tryout line up with Payton’s public statements.

For the curious, here’s who makes up the updated Saints practice squad:

  • TE Cole Wick
  • OL Casey Dunn
  • DL Jalen Dalton
  • CB Chris Johnson
  • LB Andrew Dowell
  • WR Tim White
  • WR Emmanuel Butler
  • RB/WR Taquan Mizzell
  • OL Derrick Kelly
  • TE/DL Mitchell Loewen

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New Mexico Hires Arizona State DC Danny Gonzales As Its Next Head Coach

New Mexico is going with a familiar and popular name for its next head coach.

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New Mexico Hires Arizona State DC Danny Gonzales As Its Next Head Coach

Lobos made a great hire with Gonzales.

Contact/Follow @MWCwire

Lobos got their guy.

The search for former head coach Bob Davie’s replacement has officially come to an end as New Mexico’s athletic director Eddie Nunez announced that Arizona State defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales will be Lobos head coach.

This is a great hire for New Mexico as Gonzales is a former Lobo player and coached the defense under former New Mexico coach Rocky Long as the two were at San Diego State.

Gonzales is being introduced to fans during the basketball game against Grand Canyon.

The rumor mill in the Lobo Nation had three candidates that made the final cut of Nunez’s list for the new head New Mexico coach. 

The three on the short list included Gonzales, TCU’s Curtis Luper who is the co-offensive coordinator and running backs coach, and the third name considered was Jay Hill who is the head coach at Weber State.

This hire really is a great hire for Nunez in reigniting the Lobo fan base, consulting with former head Lobos coaches in Rocky Long and Dennis Franchione, plus former UNM great Brian Urlacher. 

All have been involved in the program during the best of times as far as wins and losses. I personally know all three as a former Lobo team chaplain and all of them understand what it takes to recruit, develop and win at New Mexico

Gonzales strong ties to New Mexico and the high coaches should really benefit the Lobo program. 

An A+ Hire

One local high school coach who won the 6A State Championship this year, Heath Ridenor has expressed a desire to has already expressed a desire to coach with this Gonzales. 

This is the kind of loyalty among high school coaches that worked wonders for Rocky Long and has been missing under Davie for eight years. 

The Lobo alumni have all been very vocal about getting someone who understands New Mexico and its culture and what it takes to compete 

This hire is a win win for Nunez as New Mexico fans have an affinity for local native sons and daughters, higher ticket sales and a coach who knows his stuff and ready for the challenge.

Gonzales not only knows New Mexico and knows what it takes to win for the Lobos. What makes him unique as he was a player under both Franchione and Long. 

His resume is strong in the coaching tree, he comes from Albuquerque and was known for being a 

 

die-hard Lobo and love for the University of New Mexico as an alumni. 

He even won the Chuck Cummings award at the Lobo Banquet. This is an award for unselfish devotion the the team. 

Two very good candidates with strong resumes in the college football world. Without a doubt the Lobo faithful were leaning to Gonzales with his strong ties to New Mexico, local high school player, former UNM Lobo player for Rocky Long and went on to be the DC for SDSU and now with Herm Edwards at ASU. 

Gonzales attended New Mexico from 1994-98 and has family in the area. He served as a graduate assistant from 1999 to 2002 and also was the Lobos’ video coordinator from 2003 to 2005 before being promoted to a full-time assistant. Gonzales coached the team’s safeties, kickers, punters and long snappers from 2006 to 2008.

This is hire is drastically different from the prior two with Davie who was on ESPN’s college football broadcasts for nearly a decade when he was hired, and prior to that Mike Locksley came in from Illinois when he was their offensive coordinator.

Both had different levels of success and failures but Gonzales is the first hire with local ties since Long was the New Mexico head coach from 1998-2008. Bringing back in a fan favorite and someone with experience with the school and area he is familiar with can be a great start to get the fan base excited.

 

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Arizona State RB Eno Benjamin declares for 2020 NFL draft

Benjamin rushed for nearly 3,000 yards throughout his Sun Devils career despite only being a full-time player for two of those seasons.

Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin has declared for the 2020 NFL draft.

The prolific rusher announced his decision through Twitter on Tuesday.

Benjamin rushed for nearly 3,000 yards throughout his Sun Devils career despite only being a full-time player for two of those seasons. He burst onto the scene after a 2018 season that saw him total more than 1,900 yards and an astounding 18 touchdowns.

“Thank you God almighty. Today, I am now an ASU alum” Benjamin said in his declaration video. “I wanna say thank you to all the coaches for giving me an opportunity. Wearing that ‘C’ on my chest and being awarded a scholar baller patch was an honor and I’ll be forever grateful.”

His decision comes as no surprise, as he has been seen by many as one of the best performing running backs in all of college football over the past two seasons.

Benjamin’s burst and ability to pick up yards after initial contact should land him a solid role at the next level.

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Patriots activate UGA’s Isaiah Wynn from IR

The New England Patriots have activated former Georgia Bulldog Isaiah Wynn from Injured Reserve.

The New England Patriots have activated former Georgia Bulldog Isaiah Wynn from Injured Reserve. Wynn, New England’s starting left tackle, was placed on IR earlier this season with a toe injury. ESPN’s Field Yates announced the move today via Twitter:

The Patriots placed Wynn on Injured Reserve after they defeated Miami in week two. Wynn was eligible to return in last week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. NFL players must spend at least eight weeks on IR before becoming eligible to return. Teams are now granted two slots for players eligible to return from IR.

New England rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry returned from IR this week against Philadelphia. The Arizona State product caught three passes for eighteen yards in his debut. New England’s offense hasn’t been playing up to their usual high standards. For now, the Pats’ stout defense is carrying the load.

Wynn and Harry will give Tom Brady and the Patriot offense a much needed boost heading into the last stretch of the regular season. The Patriots can’t activate anybody else from IR moving forward.

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