Tag: Jesse James

Saints release TE Jesse James, who was signed earlier this offseason

The New Orleans Saints have elected to release veteran TE Jesse James, considering the depth displayed at that position group | @ClutchWDN

The New Orleans Saints have released tight end Jesse James, as first reported by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football. James was signed earlier this offseason after playing in only two games for the Cleveland Browns in 2022.

Jesse had spent previous stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears, and the aforementioned Cleveland Browns. His best season coming in 2018 where he accrued 423 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns on 30 receptions, averaging 14.1 yards per reception.

James did not appear in any games this preseason for New Orleans after suffering a groin injury earlier in training camp. With a breakout preseason game three for Lucas Krull as well as Jimmy Graham returning to the fold, this has pushed Jesse out of the tight end room for New Orleans.

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Report: Saints bring back tight end/fullback J.P. Holtz after tryout

FOX 8’s Sean Fazende reports that the Saints are bringing back tight end/fullback J.P. Holtz after a successful tryout on Tuesday:

One of the veteran free agents the New Orleans Saints hosted for a group tryout on Tuesday is signing with the team after all. FOX 8’s Sean Fazende reports that the Saints signed tight end J.P. Holtz, reinforcing the position after injuries sidelined Lucas Krull and Jesse James at training camp.

The Saints were already at their 90-man roster capacity so they’ll need to make a corresponding move to add Holtz to their depth chart. Even if Krull and James are expected back soon (and we don’t know that they are), they’re running thin at tight end with Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau at the top with Taysom Hill splitting reps at other positions in practice.

With their first preseason game coming up on Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, it’s worth investing in a backup or two to limit the starters’ reps in exhibition. Holtz spent most of the 2022 season on New Orleans’ practice squad and appeared in a handful of games at both tight end and fullback, also covering punts and kickoffs at times on special teams.

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Saints sign veteran free agent Jesse James, adding more depth at TE

The Saints signed veteran free agent Jesse James, adding more depth at tight end behind Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau:

This could be a good move: the New Orleans Saints signed veteran tight end Jesse James on Wednesday, reinforcing a part of their depth chart which has already seen changes this offseason with the addition of hometown hero Foster Moreau. James has been assigned the No. 81 jersey.

Originally a fifth-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers back in 2015, James appeared in 62 games (6 of them playoff games) with Pittsburgh before he spent two years with the Detroit Lions. He’s on his third team in three years by signing with the Saints, having joined the Chicago Bears in 2021 and the Cleveland Browns in 2022, though an injury limited him to just two games.

James has logged over 1,700 snaps as a run blocker in his eight-year NFL career, and that’s likely the vision for him in New Orleans. Juwan Johnson has developed into a real threat as a receiver and Moreau is an every-down asset as a pass-catcher and blocker, but James could be a better fit for the third tight end role than Lucas Krull or Miller Forristall given his experience. He’s also played a lot of snaps on special teams which may give him an edge when it comes time to make these difficult roster decisions.

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10 Browns free agents remain unsigned heading into OTAs

10 members of the 2022 Browns have yet to find a new home in free agency.

The Cleveland Browns dramatically overhauled their defense this offseason. From the hiring of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to the signing of defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson to the trade for Za’Darius Smith, the Browns addressed a bleeding issue from a year ago. This means, however, that means players from the 2022 roster have parted ways as well, including the likes of running back Jadeveon Clowney and running back Kareem Hunt.

With OTAs underway as well, both Hunt and Clowney have yet to find a new home in free agency. They are not the only two, however, as there are a total of 10 players from Cleveland’s 2022 roster that remain unsigned as the offseason progresses.

 

Every NFL draft pick coached by James Franklin

Zac Stacy, Jordan Matthews, Saquon Barkley, Micah Parsons, and every other NFL draft pick who played for James Franklin.

[autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] got his first head coaching opportunity with Vanderbilt after the 2010 season despite previously being the head coach-in-waiting at Maryland. The Commodores are not necessarily known for producing a tremendous amount of NFL talent, but Vanderbilt managed to send a few players off to the next level by way of the NFL draft under the guidance of Franklin, who has experience as an assistant coach in the NFL.

In the years Franklin was the head coach at Vanderbilt, from 2011 through 2013, Vanderbilt had seven players drafted. And a few more who would go on to be drafted later on out of Vanderbilt were brought into the program initially by Franklin and his staff. The seven players drafted from Vanderbilt from Franklin’s three seasons with the program is the most draft picks from Vanderbilt in a three-year span in school history since 1957-1969 saw 11 players selected by NFL teams, in the days of a draft lasting at least 20 rounds.

Since arriving at Penn State in 2014, Franklin has seen a growing number of his players go on to be drafted by NFL franchises, including an offensive rookie of the year in running back [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] in 2018 and a defensive rookie of the year in linebacker [autotag]Micah Parsons[/autotag] in 2021.

Here is a look at every player drafted by an NFL team that had James Franklin as a head coach in their last game before being drafted, beginning with Franklin’s time at Vanderbilt.

And once you are done checking out this list, here is a list of every Penn State player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft since Penn State joined the Big Ten.

2023 NFL Draft prospect profile: Brenton Strange, Tight End

Here is the NFL draft profile of Penn State tight end Brenton Strange

Penn State has put some players in the NFL at the tight end position during recent years. [autotag]Jesse James[/autotag] was the first notable Penn State tight end drafted. Then [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag] and [autotag]Pat Freiermuth[/autotag] followed suit and both went in the second rounds of their draft year.

While [autotag]Brenton Strange[/autotag] doesn’t have the draft hype surrounding him like the other Penn State tight ends who entered the draft, he’s still a good prospect. He fits the mold of what the NFL is looking for at the position. He is a good blocker, catches the ball and can make plays with the ball in his hand.

Strange is definitely not a day one player, but there are rumors that he could sneak into the second day of the draft. If that happens, it increases the likelihood that Strange will make an NFL roster his rookie season. Even if he goes day three like many are projecting, he possesses a skill set that could make him stick in the league for a while.

Here is a look at Brenton Strange with updated measurables following the NFL combine and Penn State’s pro day.

Top 5 TE in 2024 includes Penn State in list of 8

Penn State among top schools considered by one of the top tight ends in 2024.

Penn State has had some great tight ends come through the program in recent years. [autotag]Jesse James[/autotag], [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag] and [autotag]Pat Freiermuth[/autotag] all secured starting roles in the NFL. [autotag]Brenton Strange[/autotag] is also expected to get selected in the upcoming draft.

To replace the NFL talent that comes into the program, it’s important to recruit top prospects to fill those shoes.

Class of 2024 tight end, Brady Prieskorn, is a consensus top 10 player at his position in the country. On3 has him ranked 71st in his class and the number four tight end. Prieskorn is a four-star from Michigan who played on the varsity high school team his freshman year. He’s listed at 6’5″ and 220 pounds.

After receiving over 30 scholarship offers from programs across the country, he recently cut his list down to eight schools.

Penn State made the list along with Michigan, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Miami.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has Michigan as the massive favorites to land Prieskorn with a 92% chance. Penn State is currently given a 1.7% chance to land him, although the machine hasn’t been updated since he trimmed his list to eight schools.

When discussing Penn State with On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Prieskorn said, “They have great coaches and I have a good connection with them. They have a good history with tight ends and developing them.”

We’ll see if the recruiting staff and coaches are able to get a Michigan prospect to leave the state. If they are, Prieskorn could potentially be one of the most impactful players in Penn State’s 2024 class.

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Every former Penn State player who will be an NFL free agent

Penn State has 40 players currently in the NFL, 13 of them are primed to be free agents when the new league year starts.

Penn State has 40 players currently in the NFL, 13 of them are primed to be free agents next week.

Penn State has long been a storied program in the college football ranks and they have always produced quality NFL talent, including several Hall of Fame players. In the mix of it all, the present crop of Nittany Lions in the league is well-represented at nearly every position.

Here are the 13 looming free agents that have played inside Beaver Stadium that will be looking for new deals when the NFL league year begins on Tuesday.

2025 4-star tight end includes Penn State in top 11 schools

Penn State is among the top schools for the nation’s top TE recruit in 2025.

The recruiting grind never stops in college football. While the main focus has shifted to the 2024 recruiting class, younger prospects across the country are in communication with coaches and taking campus visits.

Davon Mitchell is the number one ranked tight-end prospect out of the 2025 class. 247Sports has the California recruit ranked 29th in the entire country. At 6′ 3″ and 220 pounds, he is a highly coveted player and received about 30 offers from schools across the nation.

On February 24, Mitchell cut his list down to 11 schools.

Those on his list include Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, USC, Oregon, and Ohio State.

Being that Mitchell is a 2025 recruit, there is still a long way to go in his recruitment.

He told Chad Simmons of On3, “it’s most definitely about relationships, development.”

When asked about the teams on his list Mitchell said, “at the end, I will pick one of those 11 schools, for sure. These schools are the schools that communicate with me a lot. We talk a lot and build relationships.”

Because it’s so early in the recruiting process, Mitchell has only visited Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.

He is scheduled to visit Penn State in mid-March.

On3’s recruiting predictor machine currently lists Oklahoma with the best odds of landing him. According to their tool, the Sooners have a 44.1% chance of landing Mitchell, while Alabama sits at 13.6%. Both Texas and A&M have a 5.9% chance.

As it stands right now, On3 is giving Penn State a less than 1% to land the 4-star recruit.

That’s not too surprising given Mitchell hasn’t visited the campus and seen the program in person. The good news is Penn State is in the final 11, giving themselves a shot at landing the coveted recruit.

He also told Simmons, “I want to go somewhere that’s gonna develop me, get me to the next level, to the league. Those are the most important things right now.”

Recently, Penn State has put three tight ends in the NFL, [autotag]Jesse James[/autotag], [autotag]Pat Freiermuth[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Gesicki[/autotag]. [autotag]Brenton Strange[/autotag] got invited to the NFL Combine and could be a late round draft pick in the 2023 draft.

Penn State certainly has the pedigree to fit what Mitchell is looking for in a college program. We’ll see if his visit to State College can put Penn State further up his rankings.

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Browns place DE Chase Winovich, TE Jesse James on IR

The Cleveland #Browns now have two open roster spots as Chase Winovich and Jesse James hit IR

The Cleveland Browns are faced with some injuries on a short week as it was already announced that starter Jadeveon Clowney would be out for the game. Today, however, the Browns have placed defensive end Chase Winovich and tight end Jesse James on Injured Reserve.

James served as the third tight end for the Browns but had not seen much action in the passing game. Winovich, traded from the New England Patriots in exchange for Mack Wilson, barely made the roster and saw his first significant snap count in Week 2.

What this means for the Browns now is Alex Wright will likely get the start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, and Isaac Rochell is likely signed off of the Practice Squad to replace Winovich for at least the next four weeks. However, as it stands, the Browns have two open roster spots (one if Rochell is signed). Tight end Miller Forristall has also spent time with the Browns and could be the second player signed off the Practice Squad to fill these openings.

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