Tag: Daryl Worley

Lions options for replacing Ifeatu Melifonwu at cornerback

It’s not a good time to need CB help around the NFL, but the Lions are in need with injuries to Melifonwu and OIkudah

Already down one starting cornerback, the Detroit Lions suffered another significant blow in the Week 2 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Rookie CB Ifeatu Melifonwu left Monday night’s game with a lower-body injury that head coach Dan Campbell deemed significant enough to keep Melifonwu out for some time.

Melifonwu rose up to the starting lineup to replace the injured Jeff Okudah, who is out for the year with a torn Achilles suffered in Week 1. Now the Lions are faced with replacing the replacement, no easy task.

Internal options

Bobby Price took over on Monday night in Green Bay. He’s a work in progress, still converting from safety in his second NFL season. Undrafted rookie Jerry Jacobs saw limited action as well and notably committed an obvious defensive pass interference penalty.

Another rookie, AJ Parker, was the bright spot in the secondary in both games so far. He has primarily been in the slot but could kick outside. The Lions do have veteran slot CB Nickell Robey-Coleman on the practice squad. Signing him to the active 53-man roster seems a foregone conclusion.

The Lions did bring in veteran Daryl Worley to the practice squad late last week. He’s another option to get called up to the active roster now that Worley has had time to settle in a little bit. Detroit also has youngster Parnell Motley on the practice squad at CB.

Quinton Dunbar

The Lions acknowledged they were looking at bringing Dunbar back into the den last week, but nothing has materialized to this point. Dunbar signed with the Lions in the offseason and was a projected starter at outside CB before a personal issue forced him away from the team.

Dunbar has a workout scheduled with the Buffalo Bills, so if the Lions are going to act here, it needs to happen swiftly.

External options

The current crop of unsigned veteran free agent CBs isn’t great, but there are a few who merit at least a workout to see if they might fit.

Richard Sherman has made it known he’s ready to return to action. His offseason legal issues complicate matters for the Lions and head coach Dan Campbell’s “no turd” policy, and Sherman, now 33, has battled injury issues for several seasons as well.

Darqueze Dennard carries some name-value recognition as a former first-round pick (Bengals in 2014) from Michigan State. He’s not played like a first-round talent but does have experience and can play either inside or outside.

Another former first-round pick, Gareon Conley, is also still out there. Conley hasn’t played since 2019, spending 2020 on injured reserve. If the 26-year-old is healthy, and that’s a big “if”, he could help in a pinch like the Lions find themselves in right now.

Damarious Randall is yet another former first-rounder (Green Bay in 2015) who could help. He’s primarily played safety in his NFL career but played CB while with Seattle over the summer and has a cornerback background.

Lions add veteran CB Daryl Worley to the practice squad

The Detroit Lions add veteran CB Daryl Worley to the practice squad

The Detroit Lions added another veteran to the precocious cornerback group on Wednesday. The team signed Daryl Worley to the practice squad.

Worley, 26, is now in his sixth NFL season. He spent the preseason with the Arizona Cardinals before being released during the final roster cutdowns. Worley played for three different teams in the 2020 season.

He has 54 games of starting experience, nearly all of it across two seasons each with the Raiders (2018-2019) and Panthers (2016-2017). Worley has five career interceptions, 37 PDs and 265 total tackles in 66 NFL games. the 6-foot-1, 215-pound Worley is known for his press coverage.

Ravens work out four defensive backs including Buster Skrine

The Ravens worked out four defensive backs on Tuesday

The Baltimore Ravens currently have four open spots available on their roster after dealing with multiple injuries and also doing some shuffling. They have a few positions where they could stand to add someone, especially on the offensive line.

However, one area of the team that might need another addition is at the cornerback position. With veteran Marcus Peters out for the season with a torn ACL, Baltimore has just five cornerbacks on their active roster. On Tuesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic shed light on the fact that the Ravens worked out four cornerbacks, including a few veteran options at the position.

Skrine and Worley are the most accomplished players out of the bunch. Skrine has accumulated 573 total tackles and nine interceptions over the course of his 10-year career, while Worley has 265 total tackles and five interceptions in five years at the NFL level.

Haley and Rose are a bit more inexperienced. Haley has 83 total tackles and one interception in three years as a professional, while Rose has yet to play in a game at the NFL level, but has starred in the Canadian Football League.

Cardinals sign CB Daryl Morley, C Marcus Henry before training camp begins

The Cardinals had two roster vacancies with CB Lorenzo Burns on the COVID list and C Lamont Gaillard released. They add a CB and C.

The Arizona Cardinals announced a pair of signings Monday, the day before veterans report to training camp. They had two roster spots after center Lamont Gaillard was released and cornerback Lorenzo Burns was placed on the COVID list.

After veteran cornerback Daryl Worley had a tryout with the team, he was signed to a one-year contract.

He wasn’t the only addition.

The Cardinals also signed offensive lineman Marcus Henry, who also worked out with the team Monday.

Worley played 10 games last season, split between three teams — the Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. Before that, the played two years for the Raiders in Oakland and his first two years were with the Carolina Panthers, who drafted him in the third round in 2016.

In his career, he has started 54 of the 66 games in which he has appeared. He has 265 career tackles (211 solo), five interceptions, 37 pass breakups and one fumble recovery.

Henry played collegiately at Boise State before signing with the New Orleans as an undrafted rookie in 2016. He spent time on the practice squads with the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texan, and then last year with the Dallas Cowboys. He also appeared in one game for Dallas.

He plays center, presumably simply giving Arizona another player at the position after Gaillard’s surprising release. .

Worley replaces Burns at the position, but he does give them experience. They only have four cornerbacks on the roster (Byron Murphy, Malcolm Butler, Robert Alford and Darqueze Dennard) with any real experience on defense.

Arizona did not need to make any corresponding moves with the signings. They had two vacancies.

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Cardinals add veteran CB on eve of training camp

The Cardinals reportedly brought in former Panthers, Raiders and Cowboys CB Daryl Worley for a workout.

Update: Worley and OL Marcus Henry signed with the Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals have a vacancy on their roster the day before veterans report to training camp. They released center Lamont Gaillard last week and did not fill the vacancy.

They are looking at the cornerback position, reportedly.

According to Adam Caplan, the Cardinals held a workout for Daryl Worley.

Worley was a third-round draft pick in 2016 by the Carolina Panthers has bounced around the league.

He spent two seasons in Carolina, the two seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders, then in Oakland. Then he began the 2020 season in Las Vegas but also played for the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills.

He is 6-1 and 215 pounds. He has started 54 of the 66 games he has played in the NFL.

The Cardinals could use more veteran competition. Right now, the three cornerbacks set to play on defense are Byron Murphy, Malcolm Butler and Robert Alford. They added Darqueze Dennard for mandatory minicamp, but after him, there are rookies or players with only one year of experience in the league.

Worley, if signed, would add competition so the Cardinals aren’t forced to rely on one of their rookies in 2021.

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Bills call Darron Lee, multiple players up from practice squad due to COVID

Buffalo Bills make COVID-19 callups from practice squad.

The Bills (7-2) were dealt a curveball on Saturday ahead of facing the Cardinals (5-3) in Week 10.

Actually, it was more of a 12-6 or knuckle curve if we’re going to get deep into the baseball terms, but like hitting one of those pitches, the team had to be meticulous to deal with the situation.

On Saturday, the Bills announced that they would be without four players, in total, because of a positive COVID-19 test result in their locker room. Cornerback Josh Norman tested positive for the virus. Due to safety precautions via contact tracing, other players who also will not suit up includes tight end Tyler Kroft, cornerback Levi Wallace and safety Dean Marlowe.

That’s a big chunk of players that did not travel to Arizona. So in order to deal with the situation, five players were called up from the practice squad by the Bills on Saturday.

Those five players are:

  • LB Darron Lee
  • CB Daryl Worley
  • WR Jake Kumerow
  • S Josh Thomas
  • CB Dane Jackson

Lee was a former first-round pick of the Jets who recently signed with the Bills, as did Worley, who played for the Panthers in 2016 when Bills head coach Sean McDermott was still employed there.

Kumerow and Thomas were already called up from the practice squad once this season, playing special teams roles. Jackson, a seventh-round rookie, was called up twice this season and recorded an interception in one outing.

NFL rule changes this season state that a player can only be called up twice. But due to the emergency situation involving COVID-19, Jackson is allowed to be called up a third time without needing to be signed to the Bills’ 53-man roster.

For more information on the Bills’ COVID-19 situation on Saturday, see the link below:

Josh Norman tests positive for COVID, 4 Bills players out vs. Cardinals

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Sean McDermott hints on if Darron Lee, new signees play vs. Seahawks

Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott on LB Darron Lee.

The Buffalo Bills did not make any moves at the 2020 NFL trade deadline which came and passed on Tuesday. But that doesn’t mean the Bills did not make any recent transactions.

Buffalo (6-2) added two players via free agency. That often happens, but those added were… intriguing. Not only because they play positions of need, but because of the players themselves. Linebacker Darron Lee and cornerback Daryl Worley were signed by the Bills to their practice squad.

Lee is a former first-round pick of the Jets, while Worley is no slouch himself. Not only was he a third rounder, but the DB played in Sean McDermott’s defense in 2016 with the Panthers.

However, the pair are in a grey area. They only officially got on the practice field this week. Are they ready? At least on Lee, Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott gave us a little hint. McDermott didn’t say no to the idea of at least Lee playing vs. the Seattle Seahawks (6-1) on Sunday.

“It’s possible. Not out of the realm of possibility at this point. It is a short run up, if you will. We’ll have to see how today goes and tomorrow,” the coach told WGR-550 radio on Friday. “It’s just hard to get up to speed in a quick manner like this, but (Lee’s) a guy that’s played varsity snaps before and he’s done some good things. Comes from a good program in college (Ohio State). There’s some positives there as well.”

At linebacker specifically, AJ Klein has filled in for a limited Matt Milano in recent weeks. Milano, Buffalo’s incumbent starter, has a pectoral injury and has played on a “pitch count” due to the injury. That’s caused Milano to struggle, and Klein’s had a tough go of it as well.

In terms of Milano, McDermott, as usual, did not want to give away any hints to his upcoming opponent. The coach wouldn’t say if Milano is not going to play vs. the Seahawks, but he did sound more cautious about Milano, who has not practice this week.

“I just think we’ve been trying to figure out the best approach – figuring out the injury and how the injury affects the player,” McDermott said. “Then trying to do the best thing for the player and then the best thing for the team as well.”

“That’s the delicate balance that we’re always trying to find. And no one has a crystal ball as good as our medical staff is, there’s no crystal ball to be able to exactly pinpoint where things are going to be.” McDermott added.

While the linebacker area has been a position of concern for McDermott’s struggling defense, it’s not alone. Over the middle of the field, slot receivers have beaten up the Bills due to poor play from nickel corner Taron Johnson. Could Worley be the competition Johnson needs there? The Seahawks have receiver Tyler Lockett coming out of there.

It’s still unclear whether or not what will happen with Lee and Worley ahead of facing the Seahawks, but we’ll find out on Saturday, most likely. That’s when the Bills recall players from their practice squad ahead of games, so keep an eye out for both players in the coming day or two.

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Bills vs. Seahawks: 6 things to watch for and a prediction

Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks thing to watch for and a prediction for Week 9.

The Buffalo Bills enter their Week 9 meeting with two-straight wins over AFC East opposition. Now they’ll move onto a team from across the conference and country as the NFC West’s Seattle Seahawks head to Bills Stadium on Sunday.

The Bills (6-2) have a tall task against the Seahawks (6-1) and even though it’s not a conference game, let alone a divisional one, it’d still be an important win.

With that, here are six things to watch for and a prediction ahead of Week 9’s Bills-Seahawks contest:

7 storylines to watch for during Bills vs. Seahawks

Storylines for Buffalo Bills, Seattle Seahawks in Week 9.

It’s Wednesday so the Buffalo Bills are now turning their attention to their next opponent after two-straight wins over AFC East opponents, most recently against the New England Patriots, 24-21, last weekend.

En route next for the Bills is a tall task from out west as quarterback Russell Wilson leads the Seattle Seahawks (6-1) to Buffalo (6-2).

With that, here are seven storylines to follow as the Bills are set to face the Seahawks for the first time in 2020:

Cowboys failures in free agency shouldn’t make them gun shy in 2021

The Dallas Cowboys swung and missed this past offseason, but it shouldn’t stop the team from being aggressive in the future.

It’s a lost season for the Dallas Cowboys, which has to have set in for the team and their fans. After losing to the Philadelphia Eagles and falling to 2-6, there is nothing that can save the Cowboys from the dumpster fire known as 2020.

It was a bad team with Dak Prescott and it’s even worse without him.

There’s also no shortage of blame for the Cowboys being in this predicament. Blame the coronavirus for not being allowed to adjust to a new coaching staff, blame the lack of a preseason to help a team going through growing pains with new schemes and we can even blame the injuries, which have crushed the team’s ability be who they wanted to be.

And it’s fine to blame the players who are actually on the field because they haven’t helped with the turnovers, penalties or overall poor play.

Of course the sexy thing to do is always blame the organization. Jerry and Stephen Jones are easy targets, after all they selected the players and decided who was worthy of paying. As most observers continue to hammer home, not securing Prescott long-term was a misstep and failing to sign re-sign CB Byron Jones remains an egregious error.

Those were two huge mistakes, but the Cowboys did operate differently this offseason. Instead of shopping in the basement for bargains, the franchise actually went out and spent some real money on veteran free agents to help.

DT’s Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe were good additions, even if Poe wasn’t the same player he once was. The team also brought in veteran saftey Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, CB’s Daryl Worley and Maurice Canady, and DE Aldon Smith to bulk up the defense.

Adding a capable backup QB like Andy Dalton was another strong move from and the Cowboys also signed versatile offensive lineman Cam Erving to pitch in if needed.

Most of the signings were good on paper, but just haven’t worked out.

Poe turned out to be washed up and McCoy, whose signing everyone applauded, got hurt, which has turned out to be a big loss. Clinton-Dix and Worley never worked out and Canady opted out for the season. The addition of Smith has been a major plus.

Injuries knocked out Dalton, but he helped win a game for the team and, until recently, Erving was injured as well.

In a perfect world, the Cowboys never need Dalton, but we’ve seen how 2020 has treated the best laid plans. The emergency use of Dalton was supposed to be for a few games to keep the teams head above water in case Prescott got hurt and was going to miss a few weeks. Dalton wasn’t supposed to be starting for the majority of the season.

The offseason plan was solid, the Cowboys brought in good options to help improve the team. They didn’t just patch up holes with street level players as they usually do, they added good (so we thought) players.

Each offseason Cowboys fans scream about the lack of aggressiveness from the front office. They want the team to be more assertive in acquiring talent to get better. And here was Dallas, making the moves to improve this offseason, they just haven’t worked out.

It would be sad if the Cowboys abandoned their approach from this offseason and went back to bargain bin shopping. This year’s results shouldn’t discourage them from being aggressive in the future.

The hope is the Cowboys will continue to find ways to get better each offseason and maximize their resources. Becoming skittish because one year didn’t work out isn’t the sign of a strong front office. The results from 2020 just means the Cowboys have to choose the players more wisely.

Dallas had a solid plan and it should be applied in the future. It didn’t pay off this season, but that’s no reason to throw the blueprints away.

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