Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The Colts worked out eight players on Monday.
The Indianapolis Colts worked out eight players at various positions, according to the league’s transaction wire Monday.
As they look to bounce back from the season-opening loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Colts will continue to look for depth across the roster.
Here are the eight players the Colts worked out Monday:
We take a look at undrafted rookie tight end Joel Honigford and his chances of making the roster entering training camp.
The Arizona Cardinals open training camp at the end of this month, so we will do a roster review, highlighting each player currently on the roster, going over last season, their salary and cap number, questions they face and what their expected roster status will be.
Next up is tight end Joel Honigford.
Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
As we approach training camp, these are the undrafted players to keep an eye on because of numbers at different positions on the roster.
Because the Arizona Cardinals are thin on established experience in the NFL at many positions, this year’s undrafted rookie class has players with a real chance of making the roster. Simply because there are questions of depth, they could be able to make a contribution and live out their NFL dream despite going undrafted.
Who are those players to watch?
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Honigford only had one catch in college and rarely ran routes even in practice in college after moving from tackle to tight end.
One of the Arizona Cardinals’ undrafted rookies is tight end Joel Honigford. He played collegiately at Michigan and made a position change from the offensive line.
He is experiencing new things as an NFL tight end.
In college, he had only one reception. That was in 2021.
According to AZCardinals.com’s Darren Urban, Honigford only ran one passing route all last season for the Wolverines. He rarely even ran pass routes in practice.
So in the Cardinals’ offense in the offseason program, it has been different.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” he told Urban. “Being able to (catch the ball) every day has been good for me.”
The Cardinals’ tight end room seems pretty open. Zach Ertz and Trey McBride are the only locks to make the team, which means Honigford, who “has a leg up,” according to tight ends coach Ben Steele (via Urban), in many ways because he is used to blocking.
Keep an eye on him once training camp starts at the end of July.
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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
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Good for him! #GoBlue
Michigan football had nine players selected during the 2023 NFL draft, including four going during the first two days. Mazi Smith was the lone first-round selection, but what truly made waves was when the 49ers drafted Jake Moody with a third-round pick.
The Wolverines had a few players go undrafted but a couple of guys signed as undrafted free agents. Right after the draft, cornerback Gemon Green inked a deal with the New York Giants.
On Sunday, per MLive’s Aaron McMann, the Arizona Cardinals signed Michigan tight end Joel Honigford.
Michigan TE Joel Honigford is signing with the Arizona Cardinals, source tells @MLive.
— Aaron McMann (@AaronMcMann) April 30, 2023
Honigford came to Michigan as an offensive lineman but switched positions back in 2021 to a full-time tight end.
He was a three-star recruit in 2017 out of Sugarcreek, Ohio. Honigford appeared in 45 games with Michigan and received six starts at tight end. He had one reception for 10 yards during his tenure with the Wolverines.
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The Commanders checked out a draft-eligible tight end, but not one of the top-rated prospects.
With just over one month until the 2023 NFL draft, all 32 teams are hosting prospective draft picks on top 30 visits or holding private workouts for them.
The Washington Commanders have scheduled a few top 30 visits thus far, emphasizing the offensive line. That’s not surprising, considering Washington’s need there.
Another position some feel is a need is tight end. However, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera has praised his tight ends: Logan Thomas, John Bates, Armani Rogers, Cole Turner and Curtis Hodges. Of the three, Thomas is the veteran. Many believe Thomas could be a salary cap casualty in the offseason, but Rivera has praised him.
Thomas tore his ACL in December 2021 but returned last summer. Thomas struggled last season as a receiver and blocker, but coaches were encouraged by his late-season progress. He’s also a tremendous leader.
Bates is entering his third season and is more of a blocker. Rogers, Turner and Hodges are all second-year players with length and athleticism. While there are reasons to be excited about them, they have yet to prove anything. That’s why some are giving the Commanders a tight end in the first round of some mock drafts.
Washington has been checking out tight ends, too, but not necessarily the elite prospects. According to Aaron Wilson, the Commanders held a private workout for Michigan tight end Joel Honigford.
Michigan @UMichFootball tight end Joel Honigford had private workouts this week with #Commanders and #Saints, per a league source
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 23, 2023
Honigford is a late-round prospect, possibly even an undrafted free agent, but there is intrigue. In six seasons at Michigan, the former high school quarterback only caught one pass for 10 yards. However, he was used often as a blocker, where he excelled. So that part is interesting.
Washington likely wanted to see Honigford work out to see what type of athleticism he has. He didn’t necessarily test well at Michigan’s pro day. Honigford is 6-foot-5, 260 pounds.
It will be interesting to follow the remainder of Washington’s visits and workouts.
Michigan tight end Joel Honigford joined the Saints for a private workout. He’s only caught a single pass in college, but he can help as a blocker and on special teams:
The New Orleans Saints scheduled a private workout with Michigan tight end Joel Honigford this week, per KPRC 2’s NFL insider Aaron Wilson, who adds that the Washington Commanders also put Honigford through a series of drills in their own meeting. He’s only caught a single pass in his college career, having gained 10 yards to convert a first down back in 2021.
Honigford is a late-round prospect in the 2023 NFL draft who mainly helped the Wolverines out as a run blocker — that was his role on 514 of his 662 career snaps on offense, only occasionally running routes or being asked to protect his quarterback. He also played on special teams at Michigan the last four years, at times running with the kick return unit (21 snaps), punt coverage squad (27), and field goal kick team (230).
He has a lot of hurdles to clear before the 2023 draft in April. Honigford tested like a marginal athlete by NFL standards at Michigan’s pro day. Despite measuring in with great size at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds with 32-inch long arms, he timed the 40-yard dash in just 4.96 seconds and posted mediocre times in the short shuttle (4.57) and three-cone drill (7.56). Those results made for a pedestrian Relative Athletic Score of just 3.29.
If Honigford’s going to make the leap to the pro level, he’ll need to show teams he can block as well as any veteran in the league while expressing an eagerness to help out in the kicking game. He might be a long-shot to be drafted, but contact like this could convince the Saints to make him a priority signing afterwards.
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He’s been really good! #GoBlue
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — He stepped up when Michigan football has needed him most.
With Luke Schoonmaker injured and somewhat limited entering the Ohio State game, and Erick All out for the season, there was no fully healthy, veteran presence for the Wolverines at a prime position. In the weeks leading up to the game against the Buckeyes, the offense reflected that, as QB J.J. McCarthy didn’t have his reliable outlet in the pass game when the wideouts were covered up on the outside.
Enter Colston Loveland, who, from Week 12 on, now has two touchdowns to his name, including the go-ahead score over OSU as the first points of the game against Purdue in the Big Ten Championship game. After starting off with at least one catch in his first three games, he didn’t reel in any receptions in the next five. But in the last five, he’s managed eight catches for 171 yards and the aforementioned two touchdowns.
But what’s allowed him to succeed, especially when he was needed? How has he changed since he first arrived in Ann Arbor last spring?
“Mainly just his understanding of the playbook, he’s the same player,” sixth-year tight end Joel Honigford said. “He’s gritty, he’s fast, he’s physical, he can catch. We saw that the first time he was here in his first spring practice ’til the last game. He’s always been the same player, but his understanding of the game has developed a lot. And I think a lot of his blocking skills have also developed, I don’t know how many times he was asked to inline-block in high school. But he’s gotten much better at that.”
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Honigford made the switch in 2020 to tight end, himself, and only devoted himself full-time to the position in 2021. So, coming from the offensive line, he knows a little something about transitioning to a new role.
In his eyes, how has it been for Loveland?
“Speaking from my experience, coming in as an offensive lineman, it was tough, because it’s a whole new game,” Honigford said. “Any little mistakes in technique that you have, they’ll get exposed. So you can’t have that. And it was a big learning curve for me. As I noticed, for most people, it’s just a completely different game. The recruiters coming in, it’s not always the top dog anymore. In some cases, I mean, they still show up pretty good.
“But I mean, the transition for him seemed pretty seamless. And I think we all collectively helped him along the way to put him and the other guys in the best spot they could be that way and help them with their technique and stuff.”
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Hopefully, this turns out similar to the road game in Week 5 last year. #GoBlue
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Something no top-five team in college football wants to do is travel to Iowa City to face off against Iowa in Kinnick Stadium.
The Hawkeyes are impressive on their home turf, going 5-1 in their last six games against top-five opponents. Michigan was one of them, coming into Kinnick in 2016 ranked No. 3 overall, and surely would have been No. 1 with a win against unranked Iowa given what No. 1 and 2 had done earlier in the day. But alas, the Wolverines lost 14-13, and while their season wasn’t upended with the loss, it all but assured that the maize and blue had no room for error left.
That’s not a position this team wants to be in, especially this early in the season.
Iowa has the dead-last-ranked offense in the country, but one of the top-rated defenses. It thrives on turnovers and general chaos. And once the Kinnick crowd gets going, it’s easy to lose focus and let the fans in the stands play their part in beating you.
“I don’t know how many people they seat but it’s gonna be a whole bunch of people versus us,” junior safety R.J. Moten said. “We’ve gotta go with the mentality like it’s gonna be a hostile environment, probably be like everybody says, close to Nebraska last year. And we’ve just gotta go in there and just lock arms and focus for 60 minutes and I think we’ll come out with the win.”
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“Yeah, obviously, depends on the environment, right?” graduate tight end Joel Honigford said. “But with Iowa, you really have to focus on listening and making sure you’re taking all the information. And because not only are you trying to figure out what formation what play, what’s the snap count, but you got tens of thousands of people screaming in your ear, that are trying to disrupt you. So, it’s just taking that next step of focus and really honing in on it, and not letting the crowd get to you. And just being disciplined on what you’ve been taught and executing.”
But what makes Kinnick so daunting?
None of these current players know for sure. The last time the Wolverines traveled to Iowa City was that 2016 disaster. But they’ve heard stories. They know what’s coming.
“I mean, obviously, they’ve got their little psychological things that they do, right?” Honigford said. “The pink locker room. And I mean, it’s going to be loud, they’re going to be juiced up. And we have to focus on us and staying even keel, not letting the crowd get to us and just playing our brand of football.
“They’re gonna have their big plays, right? They are a good football team, no doubt about it. But it’s the trust in our game plan and the guys on the field, and just not getting too emotionally invested. Either way, kind of standing right there in the middle and just playing football.”
For some Wolverines, they’re channeling a similar scenario that they faced a year ago.
In Week 5 last season, coming off of an unimpressive win over an overmatched opponent (Rutgers), the maize and blue traveled to Wisconsin to take on the Badgers in Madison. The Wolverines hadn’t won a game there in 20-some years, and while the streak in Iowa City isn’t quite as long (the last win there was in 2005), the plan is to treat the game as the same as what they faced last year.
“It definitely will be — Big Ten West opponent, first away game,” senior cornerback DJ Turner said. “It’ll definitely be the same, and like I said, we want to do what we did in Wisconsin this Saturday.”
Iowa and Michigan kick off at noon EDT with the game broadcast nationally on Fox.
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This is really encouraging stuff for 2022! #GoBlue
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — 2021 is ancient history inside Schembechler Hall.
While there is still some celebratory aspects of the program beating Ohio State for the first time since 2011 and winning its first Big Ten Championship since 2004 — like, for instance, a new graphic that made its way onto some doors celebrating the College Football Playoff berth and conference win — this team that’s currently partaking in spring ball realizes it can’t rest on last year’s laurels.
This time a year ago, a graphic made its way into the weight room (and it’s still up) that reads: ‘What are you doing to beat Ohio State today?’ While that seems like a rejuvenating mantra when you haven’t beaten your rival in some time, what’s it like after you have? Inside Schembechler Hall, the biggest enemy of progress is satisfaction, whether it’s the win over the Buckeyes, or emerging from Indianapolis victorious the week later.
“Really, just not getting complacent,” junior safety RJ Moten said. “You know, we could say that we did it. I could say that I did — I beat Ohio State, I won the Big Championship, but you know, now there’s a new — we’re a new team. I think it’s 143. Now, it’s just the kids that were part of 142 last year, we just can’t get complacent because that ends up carrying on to younger kids and we just want to go back to the Big Ten Championship and go further than just the semifinal game. So really just complacency.”
Though the offense certainly could be explosive in 2022, questions surround the defense, which replaces Aidan Hutchinson, David Ojabo, Dax Hill and others, as well as defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald. There are newer names that have to step up, like edge rushers Mike Morris and fifth-year end Taylor Upshaw — both of whom will be playing under a new defensive coordinator (Jesse Minter) as well as defensive line coach (Mike Elston).
Upshaw says this team wants to do more than beating Ohio State and winning the Big Ten. In order to maintain the proverbial shoulder chip, these Wolverines have an eye on a grander prize: a national championship.
“Maintaining what we just had, like maintaining the season and building off that,” Upshaw said. “We have a lot of new guys are gonna have to take, including myself, they’re gonna have to take on roles they’ve never had. So it’s not like, ‘Oh, we’re good.’ We have a lot to prove. I have a lot to prove. Our teammates have lots to prove and we’re not satisfied. We didn’t win a national championship. That’s something our team wants to do this year. So that’s how you keep focused, because we didn’t accomplish everything we wanted to.
“(We were) good year last year, but it’s over with.”
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While the coaching personnel aspect of the offseason has been loud in Ann Arbor, with Jim Harbaugh having interviewed for an NFL job while both coordinators departed, those inside the locker room have the same mentality as last year.
It might be easy to chalk the 2021 campaign up to fluke status, but if you paid attention to the program at this time last year, everyone involved expressed supreme optimism at the team’s resurgence. It then played out methodically, from the Week 2 win over Washington, to the Week 5 road win at Wisconsin, to the Week 13 beatdown of rival OSU.
With the quiet of the locker room, questions have loomed about complacency and how will Michigan perform without having the added incentive to get the proverbial monkey off its back. But, instead, the shoulder chips persist, Upshaw says, because the outside doubt in the program remains.
“We’re coming off a successful season, but I feel like Michigan always has had that chip on their shoulder,” Upshaw said. “Michigan is always going to be doubted, the players who are stepping into new roles are always going to be doubted. So it really just feels like the same atmosphere. I think Cade McNamara has done a good job of trying to tell everybody to maintain the atmosphere because we’re not satisfied.”
Sixth-year tight end Joel Honigford has been through a lot of iterations of Michigan football, from 2018’s 10-3 season to 2020’s 2-4 campaign to last year’s College Football Playoff run. This spring, he’s seen ways that the Wolverines aren’t just maintaining last year’s energy and drive, they’re further honing and crafting the winning formula.
“So I’ll give you an example: we go in the weight room and we line our shoes up last year and we put them right next to each other right up against the wall at a 90-degree angle,” Honigford explained. “That’s how we did it last year. We go in this offseason, and that’s how we did it — we lined them up like that. And Coach Herbert comes in. He’s like, ‘That’s not how we’re doing this.’ So instead, he lined them all up like that in a line and we like measured it out. He’s like instead I want you to flip the right shoe backward. So they’re close together and line them up the same way. So we do that. And we see how much of a difference that actually made.
“Now you take that and you apply it to how we’re playing. And like, you want to critique more of the fine details than ever before. Because like, yeah, we know what it takes. But we also know what it takes to be a 2-4 team as well. So I heard you talking earlier about a chip on your shoulder and that 2-4 season, we definitely had a chip on our shoulder. But coming off a Big Ten Championship season, College Football Playoff season, we still have a chip on our shoulder, it just looks different. And I think a lot of guys understand that. And understand what we need to do to become national champions, and what it takes to get there. It’s all about just fine details, and really honing that in.”
The schedule certainly is favorable to the Wolverines this upcoming year, with three imminently winnable nonconference games before Big Ten season starts with Maryland and then a trip to Iowa City. Penn State and Michigan State are at home, though a road trip to Columbus still looms.
Regardless, this Michigan team, while happy that it accomplished so much a year ago, wants to strive for the grand prize, because if anything, 2021 showed the players that more is possible if you work hard enough and believe in each other.
“Yeah, I mean, seeing that success last year, you know, we were right there, we got the Big Ten Championship, it was nice. It was really good feeling. It’s been a while,” Honigford said. “But we’re not national champions. And I know that we can be and I want to go get that with the rest of these guys on this team.”
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