Tag: Dwayne Harris

Bears place WR/PR Dwayne Harris on injured reserve

The Bears placed punt returner Dwayne Harris on injured reserve after he suffered what’s believed to be a torn triceps.

The Chicago Bears have placed wide receiver and punt returner Dwayne Harris on injured reserve, the team announced Thursday.

Harris is believed to have suffered a torn triceps during Monday night’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Harris appeared in three games this season after being signed to the practice squad to bring insurance to the punt return game.

In three games with the Bears this season, Harris averaged 8.1 yards on 10 punt returns. His best outing came against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, where he averaged 10.7 yards on six punt returns. But he did have a costly muffed punt against the Vikings last week before his injury.

Receiver Anthony Miller took over for Harris following his injury last Monday night, where he returned two punts for 43 yards. But don’t expect Miller to take over as punt returner full time.

The Bears claimed former Houston Texans kick returner DeAndre Carter off waivers. Carter will become the fifth punt returner for the Bears this season.

Running back Tarik Cohen tore his ACL on a punt return against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3. Receiver Ted Ginn Jr. filled in for him, but it was clear he wasn’t the answer. Which is when the Bears brought in Harris for a tryout and winded up signing him to the practice squad before elevating him to the active roster.

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Bears claim punt returner DeAndre Carter off waivers

The Bears have gone through 4 punt returners this season, and it’s likely soon to be a 5th with DeAndre Carter being claimed off waivers.

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The Chicago Bears haven’t had the best luck with punt returners this season. After losing running back Tarik Cohen to a torn ACL and releasing receiver Ted Ginn Jr., the Bears turned to Dwayne Harris.

While Harris got off to a solid start in three games, he muffed a punt against the Minnesota Vikings that proved to be costly. He was soon replaced by receiver Anthony Miller, who has served as a punt returner in the past. But it wasn’t because of production. It was because Harris is believed to have suffered a torn triceps.

Now, the Bears have made a move on the waiver wire in claiming receiver DeAndre Carter from the Houston Texans, who is a kick returner.

Carter, who was waived Monday by the Texans, appeared in nine games for Houston this season. He averaged 8.7 yards on 11 punt returns and 20.8 yards on 12 kickoff returns.

While Miller found success in the punt return game after replacing Harris — he returned two punts for 43 yards — the Bears aren’t likely to put Miller at risk returning punts when he’s one of Chicago’s top wideouts, especially considering Miller has suffered a shoulder injury in each of the last two seasons on a return.

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Bears promote five players from practice squad to the active roster

The Bears have added five players from the practice squad to the active roster in conjunction with injuries and the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Chicago Bears have activated five players from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of today’s game against the Tennessee Titans in conjunction with injuries and the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Bears promoted return specialist Dwayne Harris, quarterback Tyler Bray, offensive linemen Dieter Eiselen and Badara Traore and defensive lineman Daniel McCullers to the active roster, where they’ll be available for Chicago against the Titans.

With three players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, right tackle Bobby Massie on injured reserve and receiver Ted Ginn Jr. released, the Bears made corresponding moves.

Now that Ginn has been released, Harris becomes Chicago’s punt returner, a role he served in last week after being promoted from the practice squad to the active roster on game day with Ginn being a healthy scratch.

While back-up quarterback Mitchell Trubisky won’t require surgery on his right throwing shoulder — an injury suffered on a designed run in last week’s loss to the New Orleans Saints — Trubisky is out against the Titans, which means Bray will serve as Nick Foles’ back-up quarterback.

Chicago has had a plethora of issues with its offensive line, not based on performance this week. They lost Massie for a few weeks to a knee injury and back-up center Sam Mustipher for the week to a knee injury while center Cody Whitehair and reserve tackle Jason Spriggs were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Which is why Eiselen and Traore have joined the active roster this week.

The Bears will also be without defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris, who suffered a shoulder injury last week, which means McCullers will be available for depth should the Bears choose to activate him against the Titans.

5 bold predictions for Bears vs. Titans in Week 9

The Bears are looking to snap a two-game losing streak when they face the Titans on Sunday. Here are our bold predictions for that match-up.

It’s been an eventful week for the Chicago Bears. Mounting injuries on both sides of the ball, positive COVID-19 cases on their offensive line, and the NFL trade deadline came and went, although the team stood pat by not making a deal.

Now, as they try to move forward, they get ready to face the 5-2 Tennessee Titans, who have lost their last two games. The Titans are in a similar position as the Bears, being a team that started out red hot, only to fall back a bit over the last couple of weeks. Which team will rebound to get back in the win column?

More importantly, though, will I be able to get one of my bold predictions right this week? Going 1-4 last week, with the one prediction that was correct being against the Bears as the Saints sacked quarterback Nick Foles five times, I’m feeling more discouraged than usual. But we press on and try to do better this week. Here are my bold predictions when the Bears clash with the Titans.

The Chicago Bears have released WR Ted Ginn Jr.

In a move that’s not completely surprising, the Bears have parted ways with veteran wide receiver Teds Ginn Jr.

The Chicago Bears didn’t make a move before the trade deadline on Tuesday, but they are making a move following the deadline. And it’s a move that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

The Bears have parted ways with veteran wide receiver Teds Ginn Jr., according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Ginn signed with the Bears as a free agent this offseason, where his speed was thought to be a big asset. Although with the success of fifth-round rookie receiver Darnell Mooney, who has climbed his way to the top of the depth chart opposite Allen Robinson, Ginn’s role on offense declined with each passing week.

But when running back Tarik Cohen tore his ACL, Ginn had an opportunity to prove his worth on punt returns. That wasn’t to be, as Ginn was a healthy scratch for last Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints and newcomer Dwayne Harris took over punting duties, where he found success.

In six games, Ginn finishes his Bears career with three catches for 40 yards.

Bears protect Tyler Bray, Dwayne Harris on practice squad in Week 9

The Bears have protected three players on their practice squad this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Titans.

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With a slew of injuries on the Chicago Bears’ offensive line, the practice squad has become even more important. Teams are allowed to designate up to four players every week that are protected from being signed away from other teams.

The Bears have protected three players on their practice squad this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans in quarterback Tyler Bray, receiver Dwayne Harris and defensive tackle Daniel McCullers.

Chicago has protected Bray every week, as he’s someone with experience in Matt Nagy’s offense that provides emergency assistance. McCullers also provides some insurance at nose tackle for Chicago.

Meanwhile, the Bears also protected Harris, who was promoted to the active roster on game day and served as Chicago’s punt returner in place of an inactive Ted Ginn Jr. On his first punt as a Bears, Harris returned it 12 yards, which was a season-long for Chicago. It’s clear the Bears liked what they say from Harris on Sunday and expect him to serve as punt returner again on Sunday against Tennessee.

 

 

 

It sounds like the Bears will have a new punt returner vs. Saints

The Ted Ginn Jr. experiment is likely coming to an end, and that’ll start Sunday as the Bears host the Saints.

The Ted Ginn Jr. experiment is likely coming to an end, and that’ll start Sunday as the Chicago Bears host the New Orleans Saints.

The Bears activated wide receiver and kick return specialist Dwayne Harris from the practice squad to the active roster. Harris, who was signed to the practice squad just this week, will likely handle punt returns for the Bears against the Saints.

The signing of Harris certainly doesn’t come as a surprise following last Monday night’s game, where Ginn fielded zero punts on five opportunities. Ginn hasn’t looked comfortable fielding punts since taking over for an injured Tarik Cohen, and the Bears finally decided to make a move with Harris.

In nine seasons, Harris has played for the Dallas Cowboys (2011-14), New York Giants (2015-17) and Las Vegas Raiders (2018-19), garnered nine starts in 106 NFL games.

Harris has served primarily as a return specialist, where he’s averaged 10.1 yards on 180 punts, including four touchdowns, as well as 25.8 yards on 163 kickoff returns with one touchdown.

Bears sign WR/KR Dwayne Harris to practice squad

It sounds like we’re nearing the end of the Ted Ginn Jr. experience as the Bears have signed KR Dwayne Harris to the practice squad.

It sounds like we might see the end of the Ted Ginn Jr. experience.

The Chicago Bears announced that they’ve signed receiver and return specialist Dwayne Harris to the practice squad on Tuesday. They released defensive tackle Terry Beckner to make room for Harris.

In nine seasons, Harris has played for the Dallas Cowboys (2-11014), New York Giants (2015-17) and Las Vegas Raiders (2018-19), garnered nine starts in 106 NFL games.

Harris has served primarily as a return specialist, where he’s averaged 10.1 yards on 180 punts, including four touchdowns, as well as 25.8 yards on 163 kickoff returns with one touchdown.

Following Monday night’s brutal loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Bears are in dire need of a punt returner. Tarik Cohen’s loss on offense and special teams has loomed large for this team. While Ted Ginn Jr. has taken over as punt returner for the Bears, he hasn’t really done much other than stand back there and let the ball bounce within the 20-yard line. That was made apparent in Monday’s loss, where Ginn didn’t field a single one of the Rams’ five punts.

The hope is that Harris will become a reliable punt returner for the Bears down the line while the season is still salvagable.

 

Texans sign receivers Dwayne Harris, Devin Smith to practice squad

The Houston Texans have signed receivers Dwayne Harris and Devin Smith to the practice squad.

The Houston Texans are adding to their receiving corps, at least through the practice squad.

The team announced Monday they have signed veteran wideouts Dwayne Harris and Devin Smith to the practice squad.

Smith was last seen with the Dallas Cowboys in 2019. The former 2015 New York Jets second-round pick caught five passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. However, the renaissance was not to be as Smith was limited to four games, two of which he started.

Harris played with the Oakland Raiders for the past two seasons. The former 2011 Dallas Cowboys sixth-round pick played in three games for the Raiders last year. A special teams ace and returner, Harris has a 10.1 punt return average for his career and a 25.8 kickoff return average. Harris has also caught 77 passes for 874 yards and eight touchdowns in his 106 career games with the Cowboys, Raiders, and New York Giants.

Receiver Will Fuller was limited with a hamstring issue in the 33-16 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That the Texans are signing receivers indicates there could be a situation brewing that will be clearer when the injury report releases on Wednesday.

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Ravens work out WR Dwayne Harris, along with QB and punter

In addition to free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant, the Baltimore Ravens brought in Dwayne Harris, a quarterback, and a punter for workouts

The Baltimore Ravens are bringing in free-agent wide receiver Dez Bryant for a workout this week. But he’s not alone.

According to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Baltimore officially had wide receivers Dwayne Harris, Dez Bryant; punter Johnny Townsend; and quarterback Kenji Bahar in for tryouts. The workouts come a day after the Ravens placed cornerback Iman Marshall on injured reserve and coach John Harbaugh said wide receiver Chris Moore would miss a few weeks with a broken finger.

Harris has been in the league for quite some time, entering his 10th year in the NFL and looking for his fourth team. While Harris is listed as a wide receiver, he hasn’t really done much since 2016. Since that time, he’s caught eight passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. However, Harris has seen quite a lot of playing time on special teams and has been quite effective there.

Over his nine years in the league, Harris has returned 180 punts for 1,825 yards and four touchdowns. He’s also returned 163 kickoffs for 4,204 yards and a touchdown. He earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2016 after posting an impressive 10 yards-per-punt-return average and a 28.7 yards-per-kickoff-return average.

While Bryant has been the primary focus of these workouts, the addition of Harris points to Baltimore wanting to add yet another special teams player to the mix. The Ravens currently have several players fighting for the return specialist job and with Moore missing time, Baltimore could be looking for another productive gunner as well. Bryant has rarely played on special teams and likely isn’t interested in taking on that role at this stage of his career. But with only one roster spot currently available, that lack of versatility might mean Bryant needs to really impress in his workout to get a contract.

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