Tag: Jaydon Mickens

Colts worked out WR Jarvis Landry among several players

Here are the eight players the Indianapolis Colts worked out Tuesday, including WR Jarvis Landry.

The Indianapolis Colts held a workout for several players Tuesday, including five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Jarvis Landry.

The Colts wound up signing one player from the group of workouts, and it’s clear they had an eye to find a potential return specialist, which is likely why they signed Jaydon Mickens to the practice squad.

The Colts still have one more spot open on the active roster after suspending Isaiah McKenzie and Tony Brown for conduct detrimental to the team so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they added another player from this group.

Here’s a look at the eight players the Colts worked out Tuesday:

Colts make several roster moves after suspending two players

The Colts made some roster moves after suspending two players.

The Indianapolis Colts made several roster moves Tuesday after announcing self-imposed suspensions of cornerback Tony Brown and wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, the team announced Tuesday.

It isn’t clear what led to the suspensions, which were listed due to conduct detrimental to the team. Both Brown and McKenzie were healthy scratches for the Week 15 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers so there is likely a connection.

The Colts announced more roster moves after the suspensions Tuesday, including one player being added to the active roster.

Giants report card: How we graded Big Blue in Week 2 preseason win

The New York Giants beat the Carolina Panthers, 21-19, in Week 2 of the preseason and the Giants Wire team grades reflect that performance.

The New York Giants picked up their first win of the preseason on Friday night, dropping the Carolina Panthers by a score of 21-19.

It was an electric start for the Giants’ first-team offense, who looked crisp and dare we say dominant in their only series of the game. It was highlighted by great play from quarterback Daniel Jones and his various receiving threats, including tight end Darren Waller.

Things got a little stale in the second half as the backups and deep reserves struggled, but there’s a lot for the Giants to build upon.

Here’s a quick breakdown of what we saw during the game and how we graded the Giants in this win.

Giants have a problem at wide receiver and that’s a good thing

The New York Giants have more solid wide receivers than they have available spots, and that’s a good problem to have.

The New York Giants have a number of options at slot receiver this season, a situation made even more competitive after two veterans logged in solid showings Friday night in Detroit.

Cole Beasley caught all four of his targets for a total of 33 yards and Jamison Crowder reeled in both of his for 32 yards.

The Giants signed each veteran this offseason as insurance after the receiver cupboard ran bare last season due to injuries, forcing the team to sign players off the street.

One of the players they brought in last fall was Isaiah Hodgins, who provided the Giants with a huge boost down the stretch as they drove toward the playoffs.

On Friday night, Hodgins — a prospective starter on the outside — caught one pass for 13 yards to remind everyone that he’s still very much in the plans.

Head coach Brian Daboll put Hodgins in for 18 snaps in the game, some early on and then again later in the game.

“I thought it was good for him,” Daboll said. “He was a practice squad player for a while there and came on with us late, so I thought it was good to get him some reps early on with Tyrod (Taylor).”

The Giants’ wide receiver room is a very crowded one this summer and when the music stops on August 29 for final cuts there won’t be enough chairs. Several will be going home, or at the least, to the practice squad.

Sterling Shepard is back, along with Darius Slayton and Hodgins. They, along with third-rounder Jalin Hyatt and free agent Parris Campbell, are all shoe-ins to make the roster.

That leaves perhaps three open spots on the 53-man roster. With Beasley and Crowder stepping up, that number could be reduced to just one. Several players will have two games to make their cases.

Heralded rookie Bryce Ford-Wheaton did not have an impressive debut, failing to reel in any of his three targets and dropping a sure reception that hit him squarely in the chest.

The ever-reliable David Sills V made the most of his time, catching two passes for 36 yards, including one for a 22-yard gain. Sills is a long shot to make the team. The 27-year-old has been with the Giants since 2019, either on the active roster or the practice squad.

Kalil Pimpleton continues to play well, catching both of his chances for a total of 15 yards. He can also contribute on special teams as a returner.

Jaydon Mickens had a six-yard reception in the game, but he appears to be headed to the practice squad (at best).

Collin Johnson, who missed all of 2022 with an Achilles injury, left the game with a knee issue. The 6-foot-6 former Texas standout had been having a solid camp.

As of Saturday, Daboll did not have an updated status on Johnson’s injury.

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Giants have logjam at wide receiver

The New York Giants will bring at least 15 wide receivers into training camp and half of those won’t make the 53-man roster.

The New York Giants will be taking 15 wide receivers to training camp this week, leading to the question — what is the plan?

Are they just throwing options against the wall to see what sticks? Or are they simply creating competition to see who will rise, or are they safeguarding themselves in case of a repeat of last year when they suffered an unusually high number of injuries?

It could be a little of both. The team found themselves shorthanded last season and they don’t want to get caught short again.

The unit will be run again by assistant coach Mike Groh and he will have a diverse group of players of all shapes, sizes and skill sets who possess a varied level of NFL experience.

Of the 15 players, perhaps eight of them will make the team’s final 53-man roster, and — if things go right — one or two of them could end up leading the team in targets and/or catches.

But that will be difficult. The Giants’ big move this offseason on offense was the trade for former Pro Bowl tight end Darren Waller. He is expected to be heavily involved in the passing game.

So is running back Saquon Barkley, when he returns from his ‘holdout.’ Barkley has been the Giants’ best receiver when healthy the past few years and there’s no reason to stop throwing him the football.  Between he and Waller, there will be fewer opportunities for the wideouts, unless something changes.

So, what should fans expect this summer at wide receiver?

Expect the veterans to get the benefit of the doubt, at least in the beginning. That means initial work for Sterling Shepard, who is returning from another lost season due to injury, and Darius Slayton. Toss in Isaiah Hodgins and Wan’Dale Robinson (when he’s ready), along with free agents Parris Campbell, Jamison Crowder, Jeff Smith, Cole Beasley, and rookie Jalin Hyatt.

The Giants will try to forge a serviceable unit out of those names. They are top-heavy on slot receivers it seems so they might thin the herd there in favor of some outside options.

The others will all have to have monster camps to even be considered. Collin Johnson, David Sills and rookie Bryce Ford-Wheaton are interesting names to watch but where do they fit? Jaydon Mickens, Makai Polk and Kalil Pimpleton are long shots and will have to show special teams prowess to stick.

Wide receiver will be a heavily contested unit this summer and will be a fun one to follow.

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Giants sign Jaydon Mickens after working out three returners

The New York Giants have signed WR Jaydon Mickens after working out a trio of return men on Tuesday.

The New York Giants hosted a small group of return men for a tryout on Tuesday in East Rutherford, including former sixth-round pick Kenjon Barner.

The 33-yard-old Barner was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2013. Since then, he’s become quite the journeyman, making stops with the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and, most recently, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Barner has also been a part of three Super Bowl teams — the Eagles, Patriots and Buccaneers.

In 76 career games, he’s rushed for 416 yards and three touchdowns, while hauling in 28 receptions for 152 yards. He’s also returned 91 punts for 677 yards and one touchdown, and 55 kickoffs for 1,291 yards.

In addition to Barner, the Giants also worked out wide receivers Jaydon Mickens and Chester Rogers. Both were undrafted free agents in 2016 who have made a living as reserves and return men.

Of the three, Jaydon Mickens was signed to the practice squad. In order to clear room for him, offensive lineman Roy Mbaeteka had his contract terminated.

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WATCH: Jaydon Mickens gives optimistic outlook on Jags upon return to the team

Mickens’ passion was on full display in this interview.

Ahead of last weekend’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, the Jacksonville Jaguars brought back a familiar face to help with returns following the season-ending injury to Jamal Agnew. Jaydon Mickens, who played in Jacksonville from 2017-18, was signed off the practice squad of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with whom he won a Super Bowl ring last year.

Mickens has one career return touchdown and two receiving touchdowns, all of which came with Jacksonville in 2017. Mickens was on the active roster with Tampa Bay for the Super Bowl, but he spent a good portion of his time with the Buccaneers on the practice squad.

Mickens said he was excited to get the call that Jacksonville was bringing him back to join the active roster, per First Coast News’ Mia O’Brien.

“I was just out of practice going home actually in Tampa,” he said. “And to get that call, I didn’t know what to say, know what to expect, but how fast can I get there. Coming back to see the same faces, even the chefs are the same, the nutritionist Mindy (Black), everybody around is just great people, overall. So it makes me want to put my juice up even more just being around true family.”

Mickens, who has spent most of his career as a returner but has seen some action at receiver, is coming off a two-year stint with the widely regarded greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady, so he knows what it takes to succeed at the position.

He offered a very optimistic outlook on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, whose rookie season has shown flashes of greatness but has been overshadowed by shortcomings from his supporting cast.

“We have a young quarterback that’s going to be amazing as he progresses in this league,” Mickens said. “I went from a quarterback that played 20+ years in the NFL, and ultimately the best, but I guarantee his first year, it probably wasn’t an All-Pro year. So he has to learn some things, the guys around him have, we have to teach each other and really get together and turn this thing up.”

While there may be some continuity for Mickens coming back to the Jags, there are still a lot of differences. For one, nearly the entire coaching staff and front office have changed. However, Mickens’ first impressions of Meyer and his staff are positive.

“I see a lot of passion… they actually go out of their way to help their team, if it’s physically or mentally, they want to do everything, they’re player coaches, and they just want to help everybody get better,” he said. “I know some guys came from college and it’s a little more in your face, grab your neck a little bit more, and that’s what I love because that’s what type of guy I am. Urban (Meyer) is an amazing coach, this staff is amazing, it’s just going to be up and up.”

Meyer, in turn, praised the energy that Mickens brings to the table.

“He’s a ball of fire. I love the guy,” Meyer said. “He’s been on a Super Bowl team, so I love picking his brain about certain things. Real articulate guy, and I know he was here back in ’17, but he gave us a spark in there.”

Based on the video, it’s easy to see why. He seems to bring a lot of passion to the team, and for a squad that sits at just 2-9, that could prove to be significant. The Jags will hope to see Mickens find some of the success that Agnew saw in the return game, and given the depth issues at receiver, it’s not unthinkable that he could have some contributions there, as well.

Report: Jags to bring back WR, returner Jaydon Mickens off Bucs practice squad

Earlier this week, Jags coach Urban Meyer says he wasn’t sure who would handle return duties. However, it appears they’ve found an answer.

With the Jacksonville Jaguars losing a former All-Pro returner in Jamal Agnew for the season this week, they’ve turned to a familiar face to potentially fill his shoes. According to The Athletic’s Greg Auman, that player is receiver Jaydon Mickens, who previously played for the team from 2017-18.

Since leaving the Jags, Mickens has spent time with the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Bucs. He’s spent his time in Tampa jumping back and forth between the practice squad and active roster, and was a part of their super Bowl LV roster as the team’s kick returner.

Mickens played in 16 total games with the Bucs throughout the last three seasons. He returned 24 punts for 153 yards and 19 kicks for 469 yards during his time with Tampa. As for his career figures, he’s returned 63 punts for 499 yards and 27 kicks for 638 yards.

As a receiver, Mickens’ body of work is limited with just 13 receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Both of those touchdowns came with the Jags in 2017.

Before his stop in Jacksonville, Mickens started his career with the Oakland Raiders from 2016-17 after going undrafted in the draft out of Washington. However, throughout that time, he didn’t participate in any regular season games and was waived on Sept. 27 of 2017.

Breaking down 3 critical decisions at the end of the NFC Championship game

The ending of the NFC championship game was an armchair coach’s dream, full of complex decisions to analyze. We go over the three biggest decisions in retrospect.

The end of the NFC Championship game offers football fans a few different scenarios and decisions that are going to be debated throughout the offseason. From Bruce Arians accepting a deliberate offsides penalty, Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick returner sliding down inbounds on a kickoff prior to the two minute warning, and of course Matt LaFleur’s decision to kick a field goal in the final minutes, fans are going to be arguing over these moments for weeks to come.

Let’s dive into each of the decisions, breaking down the three critical decisions at the end of the NFC Championship game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Green Bay Packers.