Tag: Cortez Broughton

Browns tryout 3 defenders including former Bearcat Cortez Broughton

The Browns brought in three defenders for a tryout today, including former Cincinnati Bearcat Cortez Broughton

The Cleveland Browns have brought in three more players for tryouts this week. A week ago, the Browns brought in three safeties for tryouts, and then turned around and signed one to the practice squad as Mike Brown must have impressed them. Today, two linebackers and former Cincinnati Bearcats defensive tackle Cortez Broughton were in Berea trying to earn a spot within the organization.

We take a deeper look here at the three players the Browns have brought in for tryouts today. Who knows? One of them could land on the practice squad shortly just as Brown did.

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Chiefs released DT Cortez Broughton from practice squad

The #Chiefs terminated the contract of practice squad DT Cortez Broughton on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs made one practice squad transaction on Tuesday.

According to the league’s daily personnel notice, the Chiefs have terminated practice squad DT Cortez Broughton’s contract. Broughton was only re-signed to the practice squad recently after spending some time this past offseason with Kansas City.

He missed training camp due to a failed physical designation, but they’ve had him on the practice squad for two weeks now. Broughton spent the entire 2021 NFL season on the team’s practice squad and played three defensive snaps in Week 15 against the Chargers last year.

This is a peculiar move for Kansas City being that DT Tershawn Wharton has been lost for the remainder of the season. He tore the ACL in his left knee during the Week 5 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The team does have both Danny Shelton and Taylor Stallworth on the practice squad, who could be elevated or signed to the active roster.

The team didn’t make any corresponding moves on Tuesday, but they could be gearing up for a flurry of roster moves, including some on the 53-man roster. Lucas Niang is eligible to return from the Reserve/PUP list and rookie CB Trent McDuffie is now eligible to return from injured reserve. After Week 6, LB Willie Gay Jr. will be eligible to return from suspension too.

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Chiefs release LB Elijah Lee, sign DT Cortez Broughton to practice squad

The #Chiefs released a player from the 53-man roster and signed another to the practice squad on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs made one roster move on the 53-man roster and another on the practice squad on Tuesday.

According to the NFL’s official personnel notice, the Chiefs have terminated the contract of LB Elijah Lee. It was a short stay on the 53-man roster for Lee, who was just signed from the practice squad ahead of the team’s Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Chargers. The former K-State Wildcat was previously released during 53-man roster cuts in a procedural move to help the team get Blake Bell on injured reserve.

Lee is a vested veteran, which means he will immediately become a free agent and won’t need to clear the NFL’s waiver system. If Lee chooses to, he is eligible to be re-signed to the practice squad.

In addition to Lee’s release, Kansas City filled one of the team’s two vacant spaces on the practice squad with a familiar face. The Chiefs re-signed DT Cortez Broughton to the practice squad. Broughton was waived by the Chiefs ahead of training camp after he failed his physical. He spent the 2021 NFL season on the team’s practice squad and played three defensive snaps in Week 15 last year.

If you’re keeping count, the Chiefs have a free space on the 53-man roster and another space on the practice squad. They could keep the 53-man roster space open for the return of OT Lucas Niang, who is eligible to come off of the Reserve/PUP list following Week 4. It’s unlikely they’ll poach a player from another team’s practice squad, given the three-week commitment that it entails.

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Chiefs waive DT Cortez Broughton with failed physical designation

After placing him on the PUP list on Tuesday, the #Chiefs waived DT Cortez Broughton with the failed physical designation.

The Kansas City Chiefs have waived DT Cortez Broughton from the 90-man offseason roster with a failed physical designation.

Broughton, 25, was signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad ahead of the 2021 NFL season. He spent the entire season on the practice squad and was even protected ahead of the team’s Week 15 game against his former team, the Los Angeles Chargers, who selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL draft. He was protected that week due to Chris Jones going on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Broughton was actually featured in Season 1 of “The Franchise” before he was a member of the team. Chiefs GM Brett Veach and his staff spent some time reviewing his college tape during the second episode.

On Tuesday, the team placed Broughton on the active/PUP list, but his stay there was clearly intended to be brief. The failed physical designation simply means Broughton was not healthy or fit enough to pass the team’s physical or conditioning test. This designation is often used so teams can avoid paying out injury settlements.

Broughton’s roster spot was filled by former Cowboys DE Azur Kamara, who was officially signed on July 27th per the league’s personnel notice.

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Chiefs place two more players on PUP list ahead of training camp

The #Chiefs have placed RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and DT Cortez Broughton on the active/PUP list ahead of training camp.

The Kansas City Chiefs have added another two players to the active physically unable to perform (PUP) list ahead of training camp.

According to the NFL’s personnel notice for Tuesday, the Chiefs have placed both RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and DT Cortez Broughton on the active/PUP list. The team had already placed four players on the list and since moved one player from that list to injured reserve.

Players on the active/PUP list count against the 90-man offseason roster and can be activated at any time during training camp ahead of 53-man roster cuts. If a player remains on the active/PUP list at the time of 53-man roster cuts, they can be placed on the reserve/PUP list to start the season. Players on the reserve/PUP list do not count against the active roster and must wait until four games have elapsed before they can resume practice and be activated to the 53-man roster.

This is not a great start to training camp for Edwards-Helaire, who enters a make-or-break season after a disappointing start to his NFL career. The former 2020 first-round draft pick has been hampered by injuries in each of his first two seasons in the league. This was set to be his first healthy offseason and to this point, it has been.

According to The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, the situation is not considered to be major and it’s possible that Edwards-Helaire is removed from the list in the ensuing days.

We’ll learn more about both Edwards-Helaire’s and Broughton’s placement on the active/PUP list when Andy Reid addresses the media on Wednesday. The team now has a total of five players on the active/PUP list.

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Chiefs protect 4 practice squad players for Week 15

The #Chiefs protected three defensive linemen and a receiver on the practice squad ahead of their Week 15 game against the #Chargers.

The Kansas City Chiefs have protected four practice squad players ahead of their Week 15 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Kansas City protected DT Cortez Broughton, DE Shilique Calhoun, DE Austin Edwards and WR Daurice Fountain according to the NFL’s personnel notice for Tuesday. This is the second time the team has protected Fountain and Edwards, but the first time for Broughton and Calhoun.

With news of Chris Jones entering the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol, it makes sense for the team to elevate some defensive linemen for the game on Thursday. With his flexibility to play both inside and outside, it’s no shock that the team is considering adding both interior and exterior pass rushers.

One player who makes a ton of sense is Broughton, who is a former draft pick by Los Angeles. He was released by the Chargers during 53-man roster cuts back in September.

With Josh Gordon also on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, the team can elevate Daurice Fountain as a COVID replacement. This doesn’t count against the two standard elevations that he’s allotted before the team risks losing a player to waivers.

Fountain was elevated via standard elevation back in Week 11 against the Cowboys. He filled in on special teams for WR Marcus Kemp, who could be a bigger part of the offensive game plan this week with Gordon on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. That’d put Fountain in line to get more snaps on special teams again in Week 15.

While the moves to protect these practice squad players signals that the Chiefs are preparing to be without both Gordon and Jones, the team has yet to formally rule out both players.

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Chiefs sign 3 players to practice squad, waive DT Tyler Clark

The #Chiefs added some new faces to the practice squad on Friday.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made several practice squad transactions on Friday, inching one step closer to completing their 16-man practice squad.

According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Chiefs signed three players to the practice squad, while waiving another player. All three players had previously been reported on our practice squad tracker. The group includes former Chargers DT Cortez Broughton, former Rams LB Christian Rozeboom and former Steelers CB Shakur Brown. The team also received a roster exception for Cortez Broughton, which means he doesn’t currently count against the roster.

Broughton is a player that fans might remember from Season 1 of ‘The Franchise.’ Chiefs GM Brett Veach and his staff spent some time reviewing his tape during episode 2. Rozeboom, formerly of South Dakota State, was a standout during the preseason with the Rams. Finally, Brown was a much-sought-after undrafted free agent this past year, who fell short of expectations during the preseason in Pittsburgh.

The player waived by the Chiefs was Tyler Clark, a former undrafted free agent defensive tackle by the way of Georgia. He originally signed with Bengals, but first joined the Chiefs’ practice squad in December of 2020. He’d later sign a reserve/future deal with the team. He had a few flashy moments in preseason Week 3.

One player who was reported to be signing with the Chiefs, former Dolphins DT Benito Jones, visited the team on Friday. It’s unclear if the team intends to sign him eventually, but he was at least in town for a visit.

When Broughton’s roster exception expires, the Chiefs will officially have a full 16-man practice squad.

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Chargers’ defensive position battles heading into preseason finale

See where the Los Angeles Chargers have their biggest position battles on defense heading into their final preseason game.

The preseason finale is set for Saturday night, as the Chargers will take on the Seahawks at Lumen Stadium in Seattle, WA.

Here’s a closer look at the top positional battles on the defensive side of the ball ahead of Los Angeles’ matchup against Seattle.

Interior defensive line

The guys up front have all been impressive this past month, which has made the evaluation process rather difficult. Cortez Broughton has looked like the best that he has since entering the league, but Joe Gaziano and Willie Yarbary have also made some noise. Meanwhile, Breiden Fehoko and Forrest Merrill have been neck and neck for the backup spot to Linval Joseph. All eyes should be on the play in trenches tonight.

Linebacker

There are four players that will fill out the room, with those being Kenneth Murray, Drue Tranquill, Kyzir White and Nick Niemann. If the team decides to roll with five, it will likely be filled by either Amen Ogbongbemiga or Cole Christiansen. Ogbongbemiga is not going to play, as he is dealing with an AC joint sprain. Despite not playing, Ogbongbemiga still has the slight leg up due to his special teams upside. However, Christiansen has been a tackling machine, which could change the coach’s minds.

Cornerback

Like the linebacker group, there are four spots that are locked up by Michael Davis, Chris Harris Jr., Asante Samuel Jr. and Brandon Facyson. The team will likely carry nine defensive backs, leaving one for a corner. Ryan Smith was seen as a lock, but he’s been out with a core muscle injury. Los Angeles could place Smith on injured reserve, and he would be allowed to return sometime during the season. Kemon Hall, John Brannon and Tevaughn Campbell, who have all shined, will be fighting for the job.

Kicker

It appeared to be all Tristan Vizcaino throughout the summer, but Michael Badgley kicked his way into having a slight advantage this past week. Head coach Brandon Staley said that he wants both kickers to have a fair shot, which likely means more field goal opportunities will be given on a rotational basis. Leg strength on kickoffs will also be an important deciding factor.

6 Chargers with the most to lose at training camp

Identifying Chargers players who could lose a starting role or a roster spot altogether at training camp.

As it is with every training camp, the Chargers will have a number of position battles to watch. Every summer, there are always players with more to lose than their teammates on the roster.

That could come in the form of simply losing a starting role or it could result in them losing a roster spot altogether. With training camp less than two weeks away, here are six players with the most to lose.

QB Easton Stick

Drafted in the sixth-round of the 2019 NFL draft, Stick has gotten the short end of the stick (no pun intended), having limited experience after not having a preseason last year due to COVID-19. He will battle it out this year with veteran Chase Daniel for the backup spot, but I would not be surprised if he is on the outside looking in since Daniel’s familiarity with the offense and mentorship is why he was brought in to begin with. Assuming the team rolls with two quarterbacks, Stick is still a practice squad candidate.

RB Justin Jackson

Austin Ekeler enters this season as RB1, but the team will need to find his compliments since he will be deployed as a pass-catcher in the slot in addition to his duties in the backfield. Jackson will have to fend off second-year Joshua Kelley and rookie Larry Rountree III. Even if the team decides to keep four backs on the roster, Jackson will be fighting for his role as RB2. While Jackson has proven to be impactful, his time on the field has been limited due to lingering injuries since entering the league.

WR K.J. Hill

The wide receiver room was already deep prior to the draft, but it only deepened after the Chargers took Josh Palmer in the third-round. Assuming that Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Jalen Guyton, Tyron Johnson and Palmer are locks, that leaves a battle for the sixth spot. Hill flashed in spurts, but he struggled with drops. He will have to fend off Joe Reed, Jason Moore and John Hurst in camp. In my wide receiver projections, I gave the last spot to Reed because of his special teams experience and versatility to work as a receiver and out of the backfield.

DT Cortez Broughton

The Chargers have a solid trio at the top depth chart with Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery. However, the rotational pieces have yet to be shaped, and among the players who will be fighting for their job is Broughton. Had the team not signed Christian Covington, Broughton’s seat would likely not be hot. The fifth and likely final spot may ultimately be given to a nose tackle to back up Joseph, whether that be Breiden Fehoko or undrafted free agent Forrest Merrill. Therefore, Broughton will really have to standout to garner a roster spot.

TE Stephen Anderson

The tight end room was as slim as it got after letting go of Hunter Henry earlier this offseason. But in correspondence, the team signed Jared Cook and drafted Tre’ McKitty in the third-round. Anderson was re-signed, but that doesn’t mean his spot is secure. He would like have to beat out Donald Parham, but Anderson doesn’t offer as much upside as a pass-catcher to keep around.

K Michael Badgley

The Chargers steadily improved the special teams department this offseason, but the final piece to the reconstruction could include a new kicker. Badgley struggled last season, missing nine field goals over 45 yards. Heading into camp, he will have to fight off the two guys that the team brought in this offseason, with those being Tristan Vizcaino and undrafted free agent Alex Kessman.

DT Cortez Broughton making most of Chargers training camp

The Los Angeles Chargers’ 2019 seventh-round pick is standing out in a field of young players.

The Chargers’ interior defensive line is headlined by newly acquired Linval Joseph, Justin Jones and Jerry Tillery. While the trio has gotten the majority of the attention up to this point at training camp, second-year Cortez Broughton is also standing out.

Broughton, Los Angeles’ seventh-round pick of the 2019 NFL draft, was a rotational interior defender before having his rookie season cut short after being diagnosed mononucleosis.

Looking to claim the final defensive tackle spot on the 53-man roster, Broughton helped his case by recording three sacks this past week. He got a handful of reps with the first-team while Damion Square missed a few practices with an injury.

The former Cincinnati product is capable of playing both nose tackle and three-technique. If Broughton makes the roster again, he could make some noise as a rotational interior defensive lineman in 2020.

To get more familiar with him, I broke down some of his college film last offseason.