Tag: jalen morton

Colts activate 3 players from COVID-19 list among slew of roster moves

The Colts made a slew of roster moves, including the activation of 3 players from the COVID-19 list.

The Indianapolis Colts activated three players from the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Friday.

The three players who remained on the list were cornerback Xavier Rhodes, defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad and offensive tackle Julién Davenport.

Rhodes and Muhammad were among the first players to be placed on the reserve list when camp opened in late July. They haven’t logged a practice to date. Davenport was put on the list a day or two after practice started at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.

The Colts no longer have any players on the reserve/COVID-19 list as it stands.

Rhodes should be put right back in as CB1 on the boundary while Muhammad will have to compete in the defensive end room, which won’t be as easy with Ben Banogu and others showing out. Davenport is likely to join the left tackle competition alongside Will Holden and Sam Tevi.

The Colts also announced Friday that they placed wide receiver J.J. Nelson on the injured reserve list, and they waived safety Rolan Milligan and quarterback Jalen Morton.

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Colts held tryout for 5 players on Monday

Colts got a look at some players on Monday.

The Indianapolis Colts held a tryout for five players on Monday, per the league’s transaction wire.

Two of those players—WR J.J. Nelson and QB Jalen Morton—were signed to reserve/futures contracts on Monday. It was also reported before the transaction wire came out that Spring League MVP Bryan Scott had a workout as well.

The two other players to work out for the Colts on Monday were wide receivers Michael Walker and John Humphrey.

The Colts can sign as many players to futures contracts as they want as long as they stay within the 90-man roster limit. That doesn’t go into effect until Feb. 8 so the players on futures contracts will remain on the reserve list.

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Colts sign QB Jalen Morton, WR J.J. Nelson to futures contracts

Colts add two more futures contracts.

The Indianapolis Colts signed quarterback Jalen Morton and wide receiver J.J. Nelson to reserve/futures contracts, the team announced Monday.

Morton was an undrafted rookie following the 2020 NFL draft who signed with the Green Bay Packers. He was with the team throughout training camp and the offseason.

Nelson has been around the league having appeared in 58 games with four different teams. He was a fifth-round pick with the Arizona Cardinals in 2015 and has had stints with the Oakland Raiders (2019), San Francisco 49ers (2020) and Buffalo Bills (2020).

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Giants work out Shelton Gibson, eight others

The New York Giants worked out wide receiver Shelton Gibson and eight others on Thursday.

The New York Giants hosted nine players for workouts in East Rutherford on Thursday, including former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Shelton Gibson.

The 5-foot-11, 191-pound Gibson was a fifth-round pick out of West Virginia in 2017 and spent the first two seasons of his career with the Eagles. He also had stays with the Cleveland Browns, Washington Football Team, Carolina Panthers and a second stint in Philly.

In 20 career games, Gibson has hauled in three receptions for 59 yards. He has also returned three kickoffs for 57 yards.

In addition to Gibson, the Giants also worked out wide receiver Kyran Moore, defensive end Ryan Bee, offensive tackle Dino Boyd, running back Jordan Chunn, tight end Matt Flanagan, defensive back Evan Foster, linebacker Cale Garrett and quarterback Jalen Morton.

The Giants likely evaluated these players with Reserve/Futures deals in mind should they be eliminated from the playoffs this weekend.

Note: Thursday represented the start of the COVID-19 for all players working out/trying out.

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Cowboys bring in two tight ends, tackle, and QB for tryouts

After injuries to key starters in Sunday’s Week 1 loss, the Cowboys have brought in several new players for a tryout, including a QB.

Evaluating talent is a full-time-all-the-time endeavor in the NFL. Even if the Cowboys hadn’t seen injuries take Blake Jarwin, Leighton Vander Esch, and Cam Erving off the field in Sunday night’s opener, the team would still be expected to at least kick the tires on some new names this week.

Given the season-ending ACL tear to starting tight end Blake Jarwin, it’s not surprising to see a couple more on the club’s tryout list. Taking a look at tackle is always smart for offensive line depth, especially after Dak Prescott was sacked three times in Los Angeles. There are no linebackers trying out, so Dallas seems content to roll with who they’ve got. But they are getting an up close and personal look at a quarterback with a unique claim to fame.

Erik Swoope is likely the most familiar of the bunch. He has been affiliated with four teams after entering the league as an undrafted free agent in 2014. The University of Miami tight end played with the Colts for five seasons, catching three touchdowns in 2018. Since then, Swoope’s done a one-day stint with the Saints, a two-month stay in Oakland, and a week in San Francisco.

Cheyenne O’Grady played college ball at Arkansas, catching 85 passes from 2016 to 2019 and scoring 11 touchdowns. The tight end left the Razorbacks team in November of his senior year and went undrafted in April.

Offensive tackle Jared Veldheer was a third-round selection by the Raiders in 2010. After four years in the silver and black, he spent four more seasons with the Cardinals. He started 12 games in 2018 as a Denver Bronco. After signing a one-year deal to play in New England in 2019, Veldheer retired from football a week later, only to change his mind and be claimed by Green Bay late last season.

Quarterback Jalen Morton was an undrafted free agent out of Prairie View A&M. He signed with the Packers, but was released in early August. While Dallas’s stable of passers would appear to be full, Morton may be worth a look-see if only to gauge his notable arm strength.

According to his bio, Morton- who has a degree in mechanical engineering- can throw a football 100 yards.

“The last time I did that was late July before camp,” he told Sports Illustrated‘s Bill Huber over his summer in Green Bay. “I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m feeling good about the season. I feel good about it. I feel good about it because I know my arm strength. I used to play baseball. I know the type of conditioning to keep in shape and keep doing that. I’ve seen Aaron Rodgers flick the ball and it goes 75. I can only imagine what he would do if he takes a couple of hitches and lets it go.”

The Cowboys merely brought in all four players for tryouts. The dream may last for just one workout or the invite could lead to a spot on the practice squad. And then who knows?

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Packers to sign UDFA QB Jalen Morton

The Packers are adding Jordan Love and Jalen Morton to the quarterback room in Green Bay.

Jordan Love won’t be the only new quarterback in Green Bay in 2020.

The Packers will also sign Prairie View A&M quarterback Jalen Morton in college free agency, according to HBCUSports.com.

Morton (6-4, 226), a two-year starter, went undrafted. The Packers took Love in the first round and will now plan to bring Morton to training camp as the fourth quarterback after releasing Manny Wilkins on Monday.

Morton threw 33 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions and rushed for 16 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Prairie View A&M. He finished his career with 64 total scores.

“It’s a great opportunity to be considered for their team, and it’s a chance to showcase what I’m able to do,” Morton said. “I’m happy, grateful and blessed. I can’t do anything but thank God, and at the end of the day I’m a Packer now. I’m ready to contribute to the team and culture with my talent and help us win games. I’m excited to learn about the offense and the Green Bay organization.”

Morton’s coach, Eric Dooley, believes the Packers new quarterback “checks all the boxes as far as size, athleticism and ability to play the position and read defenses.”

Morton was Dane Brugler’s No. 31 overall quarterback in the 2020 draft class.

Lance Zierlein’s scouting report on Morton: “While the stats might say he is a dual-threat quarterback, that could have been more a function of his team’s offense than his particular set of skills. Morton has the size and arm talent of a pocket quarterback with above-average athletic ability. He has the potential to make pro throws, but getting through his progressions and playing with proper eye discipline are not his strong suits currently. He has developmental tools and traits but must elevate his post-snap fundamentals in order to have a shot at competing at the NFL level.”

The Packers are also signing Prairie View A&M tight end Jordan Jones.

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Report: Vikings had conversation with Prairie View A&M quarterback Jalen Morton

Prairie View A&M quarterback Jalen Morton has talked with the Vikings, according to the Pioneer Press. Would you want to see the team take a chance on the FCS QB?

The Vikings extended quarterback Kirk Cousins this offseason, but the team could still find a player who could contend for a backup spot at that position.

According to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Prairie View A&M quarterback Jalen Morton has had conversations with the Vikings. Tomasson thinks that Morton probably won’t be drafted, but he might be an option for the Vikings to sign as an undrafted free agent.

Morton put up good numbers in the FCS, so it’d be interesting to see if he translates to the NFL level.

Minnesota recently re-signed 2019’s backup quarterback Sean Mannion on a one-year deal. However, Morton cold still vie for the backup spot with Mannion, and either way, he’s a low-risk signing who could add a different dimension to the Vikings’ offense.

Morton is a mobile quarterback, so if he developed into an NFL-caliber passer, he could make defenses have to game plan differently. If not, I doubt the Vikings would break the bank in signing him.