Tag: donovan olumba

Rams sign former Cowboys and CFL cornerback Donovan Olumba

One day after waiving Dayan Lake, the Los Angeles Rams filled his spot with CB Donovan Olumba.

The Rams waived defensive back Dayan Lake on Thursday, but they didn’t waste much time signing his replacement on the roster. The team announced on Friday that it has signed cornerback Donovan Olumba.

The Rams will be Olumba’s third NFL team after spending time with the Cowboys in 2019 and having a brief stint on the Browns’ practice squad at the end of last season. This past June, Olumba signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL but Los Angeles is giving him another chance to make it in the NFL.

He’s played just one game as a pro, lining up for 32 defensive snaps with the Cowboys in 2019. At 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, he has good length for the position, so the Rams will see what he can do in camp and the preseason.

In the 2019 preseason, he had a pick-six against the Buccaneers and made this play against the Rams for a stop behind the line.

Olumba entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2018, signing with the Cowboys out of Portland State.

Browns place OL Michael Dunn, CB Robert Jackson on injured reserve

The Browns also placed A.J. Green on the practice squad I.R.

Two players who acquitted themselves nicely when pressed into emergency duty for the Browns are now done for the year. Offensive lineman Michael Dunn and cornerback Robert Jackson were each placed on the team’s injured reserve on Tuesday.

Dunn suffered a calf injury while filling in for Joel Bitonio as the team’s starting left guard in the Browns’ wild-card win over the Steelers. Jackson injured his hamstring in the game. Both players are now done for the season, with the minimum I.R. time of three games carrying through the end of the playoffs.

With Bitonio due back from his COVID-19 absence, the loss of Dunn should be mitigated. Denzel Ward could also return to the Browns after missing the last two weeks with COVID-19, too. Jackson had seen a major increase in playing time in Ward’s absence.

The Browns also placed CB A.J. Green on the practice squad injured reserve. Green played in the Steelers contest as a practice squad elevation. To replace Green, the Browns brought back CB Donovan Olumba to the practice squad. Olumba was on the Browns during the 2020 offseason after signing with the team from the Cowboys.

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Chad Thomas, Donovan Olumba among cuts not returning to the Browns practice squad

There were a few surprise omissions from the Browns practice squad list

There are only 16 spots on the practice squad for the Cleveland Browns. As of Monday morning, 14 of those are filled. And the two open spots appear destined for DT Eli Ankou and TE Pharaoh Brown, who were waived on Sunday when the Browns signed Joe Jackson and Vincent Taylor.

The Browns stuck close to home in filling out the practice squad. All but one of the 14 members of the initial practice squad spent training camp in Cleveland. The other, PK Cody Parkey, was the team’s kicker in 2016.

But there are some notable omissions from the practice squad list. Defensive end Chad Thomas is the biggest.

Thomas entered training camp as the No. 3 DE, or at least competing for that role with newcomer Adrian Clayborn. After a promising second season where he bagged four sacks and played well in Myles Garrett’s absence down the stretch, the arrow was pointing up for Thomas. He didn’t fare badly, not by any account from Berea. But he did fall behind Porter Gustin, one of the surprise standouts of training camp.

There didn’t appear to be interest on either side for the relationship to continue,

The same is true for CB Donovan Olumba, another training camp standout. He was cut earlier in the week and still has yet to latch onto another team. Olumba was the most surprising cut from the 53-man roster in my eyes, and it sure seemed a given he would return to the practice squad given the myriad injuries in the Browns secondary. He too remains a street free agent, unsigned as of yet.

It seems the Willie Harvey experience is also done in Cleveland. Harvey made the 53-man roster in 2019 as an undrafted rookie, but he failed to recapture the magic in 2020. He’s another unexpected omission from the list. Safety J.T. Hassell, who played capably as an undrafted rookie late last year, is another.

Maybe the team was looking for something different with these players or those positions. That certainly seems the case with Thomas, a John Dorsey pet pick that doesn’t fit the new Andrew Berry/Kevin Stefanski scheme or structure all that well. Or maybe the player(s) decided to seek out greener pastures elsewhere.

Browns training camp: Observations from ‘Browns Live’ on the 1st day of padded practice

Browns training camp: Observations from ‘Browns Live’ on the 1st day of padded practice

The pads came on for the first time at Cleveland Browns training camp in Berea on Monday. With the pads came another day of rain, with a steady downpour for a good portion of the afternoon practice session.

In part due to the suboptimal field conditions from the rain, WR Jarvis Landry and S Karl Joseph both worked with trainers instead of participating in drills. Landry and Joseph are both coming back from offseason surgeries and the team described their status as precautionary absences, nothing more.

Here’s some things I noted from watching the stream of the “Browns Live” as well as following along with in-person reporters on social media channels:

Nick Chubb leaves early

The biggest development was a pearl-clenching moment midway through practice when Pro Bowl RB Nick Chubb left the field with trainers after being tackled awkwardly up high by LB Mack Wilson.

Preliminary reports from Nathan Zegura and Josh Cribbs on the “Browns Live” stream were that Chubb “looked good” walking off; neither seemed overly concerned.

Shortly after practice, the Browns revealed that Chubb was being evaluated for a concussion.

Donovan Olumba steps up

Denzel Ward also took it easy with the slick track. Interestingly, unheralded Donovan Olumba took over Ward’s first-team reps on the outside opposite Greedy Williams. Near the end of the practice, Olumba made a nice pass deflection in tight coverage.

No. 33 is visibly bigger than any other Browns CB at a listed 6-2 and 205, the latter of which seems to be shorting him a bit. Olumba spent 2019 in Dallas, almost entirely on the Cowboys’ practice squad. The hirsute corner from Portland State is off to a solid start with his new team. He’s in the mix to be the No. 3 outside CB, a role that is wide open.

Kareem Hunt’s day to shine

The No. 2 running back got more work than normal with the starters after Chubb’s departure. He had one run with a sweet cutback and a tough stiff-arm that shed away LB Sione Takitaki. It was a reminder of Hunt’s ability as a runner after the first couple of practice sessions featured him more as a receiver out of the backfield.

Hunt noted after practice that he likes running behind a fullback but has yet to choose which one he prefers, Andy Janovich or Johnny Stanton.

Rookie watch

First-round offensive tackle Jedrick Wills looked fine in what we could see from the Browns new starting left tackle.

Second-round safety Grant Delpit took over all first-team reps at strong safety with Joseph out.

Fifth-round center Nick Harris continues to get the first-team reps with JC Tretter out for at least another week. Harris has performed well enough that he earned a Zoom session of his own with the media. He noted he feels like he’s the “ideal size” to play center in coach Kevin Stefanski’s scheme. Harris is 6-1 and 293 pounds by his own admission. The days of the 325-pound center in Cleveland are over.

Sixth-round WR Donovan Peoples-Jones bobbled a punt return attempt and then had to watch as his primary competition, tiny veteran Jojo Natson, expertly fielded the exact same punt from “The Scottish Hammer”, Jamie Gillan. Peoples-Jones has worked with the second-team offense at outside WR and did get some first-team looks with Landry and Damion Ratley out on Monday.

New pants

The Browns will play in much-hyped new uniforms in 2020. We got our first real look at the new pants on Monday, as the players had been in shorts in the prior sessions.

Jarvis Landry and Karl Joseph sit out Browns 1st padded practice

Landry and Joseph both sat out the rainy practice as a precautionary measure

The first day of padded practices in Berea was a washout for two projected Browns starters. With rain in the forecast and falling throughout practice, wide receiver Jarvis Landry and safety Karl Joseph each sat out Monday’s session of Browns training camp.

Both players are coming off offseason surgery and sat out as precautionary measures. Landry and Joseph had been active participants in the prior sessions on Friday and Sunday, where the team was not in pads and the weather was better.

In addition, starting CB Denzel Ward took only limited reps as a precaution due to the slick field. Donovan Olumba stepped up and took Ward’s first-team reps opposite Greedy Williams at outside CB.

Myles Garrett and Damion Ratley remain on the sideline working with trainers instead of practicing. Center JC Tretter is out after undergoing a knee procedure.

Donovan Olumba: What the Browns are getting in their new cornerback

Donovan Olumba: What the Browns are getting in their new cornerback

The Cleveland Browns made more moves on a lovely Saturday morning and although not a classic big name, Donovan Olumba is another young player ready to make an impact in Cleveland. The Browns defensive backfield was fairly depleted entering free agency, but the team continue to make additions.

Name: Donovan Olumba

Height: 6-2

Weight: 208 pounds

Age: 24 years old

Previous Team: Dallas Cowboys

Olumba is still extremely young at only 24 years old. He entered the NFL in 2018 after going undrafted out of Portland State. Despite dominating in college, Olumba’s draft stock clearly took a hit due to the level of competition he played. Even though Olumba went undrafted, Dallas decided to snag him and see what they could get out of the tall and long defensive back. He bounced around from practice squad to active roster in 2018 and 2019.

This signing is intriguing, because Olumba is so raw, he only started playing defensive back in college and even then was playing at the division two level with Alderson Broaddus (West Virginia) before taking a shot at the FCS level with Portland State in 2017. Olumba had an excellent season earning All-Big Sky Honorable Mention, but struggled during the pre-draft process only running an alarming 4.62 second forty yard dash at his pro-day.

Olumba checks a ton of boxes ranging from his on-field swagger that allows him to stay confident to his extremely unique height and length for the position. He also uses his size well, playing the position aggressive and physical excelling in press coverage, where he can use his long limbs to disrupt routes.

His biggest knock is his lack of speed. Although he should not be looked at as the answer at corner, Olumba has some interesting potential that warrants a deeper look.

Browns agree to sign CB Donovan Olumba in free agency

Browns agree to sign former Dallas Cowboys CB Donovan Olumba in free agency

Andrew Berry promised to be aggressive in acquiring talent, and the Browns GM has sought about delivering on that promise. On Saturday, he added a player with some unproven promise to the Browns.

Free agent cornerback Donovan Olumba has agreed to terms on a deal with the Browns. The 6-foot-1 cornerback is coming off a rookie season spent almost entirely on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad. He’s a 24-year-old undrafted player from Portland State who was cut by the Cowboys earlier this week.

Olumba’s agent, Evan Brennan, posted this on his Instagram:

2020 Free Agency: Cowboys release 2 players as 3 others sign new deals

Dallas inked its WR1 on Wednesday plus backups at QB and safety; they released Donovan Olumba and Daniel Wise from the practice squad.

It’s a dizzying time for Cowboys fans, as players are coming and going faster than even the most hardcore followers can refresh their news feeds. Wednesday was a busy day, with the signings of three current players and the release of two others from the practice squad.

A major item on the Cowboys’ offseason to-do list got checked as wide receiver Amari Cooper officially inked his lucrative new contract with the club. After a career-best season (in yardage and touchdowns), Cooper’s deal ranks him at the top of the WR heap in terms of pay.

Safety Darian Thompson also signed his new deal, a two-year pact worth $2.8 million. Thompson has been with the organization for two seasons after two years as a New York Giant.

Additionally on Wednesday, backup quarterback Cooper Rush took another step in cementing his spot with the club. Rush’s role could change in a hurry if start Dak Prescott ends up holding out as he and the front office continue to navigate his new franchise tag designation.

But in addition to the marquee names securing new deals, this time of year also sees the often-unceremonious exit of lesser-known roster-fillers who never quite caught on.

 

Such is the case with cornerback Donovan Olumba and defensive end Daniel Wise. Both were released by the team on Wednesday.

Olumba was signed as an undrafted free agent after the 2018 draft. Thought to fit the mold of a Kris Richard defensive back, he ended up spending most of his time with the club on the practice squad, only ever seeing the field during last season’s regular season finale versus Washington. He logged no official stats.

Wise also joined the team as an undrafted free agent following the 2019 draft. He spent the season on the practice squad and had been signed to a futures/reserves contract after the year ended.

Secondary Consumers: Cowboys ink CB Maurice Canady, bring back Brown

Dallas made two moves to shore up the secondary, but will they find a big fish to go along with the savvy deals?

The Dallas Cowboys had three free agent cornerbacks entering the offseason, losing Byron Jones on the first day of free agency to a mammoth deal with the Miami Dolphins. While there was talk of bringing in Chris Harris, Jr., formerly of the Denver Broncos, the club seemed to bow out of that process relatively quickly.

On Wednesday, the official start of the league year, the club made not one, but two moves to shore up the important position, including bringing back one of their own. The team has worked out a three-year agreement for Anthony Brown to return while also signing external free agent Maurice Canady.

Brown returns to the club for his fifth season, after being a Day 3 draft pick in the team’s vaunted 2016 haul. Primarily a slot corner, Brown was off to a great start in his first two years, but didn’t seem to take to the coaching style of DB coach Kris Richard, who joined the club in 2018. His regression was strong, and led many fans to clamor for Jourdan Lewis, who eventually took the starting spot from Brown before the latter was ruled out for the season due to injury.

Brown played just nine games in 2019 and was placed on injured reserve on November 20 after season-ending surgery on his arm.

For his career Brown has four interceptions, three sacks as a crafty slot blitzer and 32 passes defenses. The Purdue product has started 32 of the 54 games he’s appeared in.

As for Canady, he was also a 2016 draft product, drafted 20 picks after Brown in the sixth round as well. The former Baltimore product spent last season playing for both the Ravens and New York Jets.

He has just four career starts and spent a lot of time bouncing back and forth on the Ravens roster between IR stints. He was picked up on waivers by the Jets  last November.

An interesting note, the Ravens must have liked him to some degree as not once but twice they used one of their two in-season IR activations on him, in 2017 and 2018.

The former Virginia Cavaliers baller stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 219 pounds. Pro Football Focus graded him a top 30 corner in his limited snaps (393) for the 2019 season.

He had one interception, one forced fumble and five PBUs in limited time.

The Cowboys did not find a replacement for Jones, yet, but they did shore up the depth portion of their positional needs. For now, Brown will be part of the top-3 rotation with Lewis and de facto No. 1 corner Chidobe Awuzie, while Canady looks to replace C.J. Goodwin as the fifth corner.

In a related move, the Cowboys released CB Donovan Olumba on Wednesday.

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