Report: Giants sniffing around Trent Harris, Kendall Coleman

The New York Giants have visits scheduled with free agent linebackers Trent Harris and Kendall Coleman.

Even prior to Lorenzo Carter being lost for the season due to a ruptured Achilles tendon, the New York Giants were taking a look at several free agent linebackers.

Art Stapleton of USA TODAY reports that the Giants had former Miami Dolphins outside linebacker Trent Harris in for a visit on Friday and that both he and rookie linebacker Kendall Coleman are currently going through COVID-19 testing protocols.

The Giants had ex-Dolphins OLB Trent Harris in for a look Friday, and he’s going through testing protocols now.

Both Harris and ex-Syracuse UDFA Kendall Coleman are expected to complete the expanded entry process for free agents on Tuesday, and then they’ll work out for the Giants.

Harris originally signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Miami and spent his first season on the team’s practice squad.

In 2019, Harris signed with the aforementioned Dolphins and appeared in 11 games (three starts), recording 22 tackles (one for a loss), one forced fumble, two QB hits and 1.5 sacks.

Given his time in New England and Miami, Harris is a familiar face to both Giants head coach Joe Judge and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

Coleman, meanwhile, signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Syracuse earlier this year, but was released in mid-August.

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Colts sign CB Tremon Smith, waive DE Kendall Coleman

Colts add more to the secondary.

The Indianapolis Colts signed cornerback Tremon Smith and waived defensive end Kendall Coleman, the team announced Sunday.

Smith, 24, was a part of the six players who visited the Colts on a tryout basis earlier this week. He was a sixth-round pick with the Chiefs in 2018 where he worked on special teams as a return man and in a limited fashion as a cornerback. Smith has also held stints with the Packers and Eagles.

Smith will be joining a cornerback room currently comprised of Rock Ya-Sin, Kenny Moore, Xavier Rhodes, T.J. Carrie and Isaiah Rodgers.

Coleman was an undrafted free agent who signed with the team following the 2020 NFL Draft out of Syracuse. He was a long shot to make the roster as a depth piece in the defensive end room.

Though Coleman was waived, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Colts bring him in to the practice squad when they are allowed to do so.

6 Colts who should be considered for the protected practice squad

Colts can protect up to four players on the practice squad.

As the NFL tries to navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, there are a lot of changes going around the league. Among them are the slight modifications to the practice squad, which will have an impact on the Indianapolis Colts in a positive way.

Under the new CBA, practice squads were already going to be increased from 10 to 12 players. Now, the NFL and NFLPA have agreed to expand the practice squad to 16 players. Also, six of those players can have an unlimited number of accrued seasons—previously the rule was only two players—per Lindsay Jones of The Athletic.

The biggest change, though, comes in the form of a “protected practice squad.” Four players on the practice squad can be protected on a weekly basis from other teams trying to poach players, per Mark Maske of The Washington Post.

This will allows the Colts to keep some of their younger talent protected while adding depth elsewhere on the active roster.

Here’s a look at six players the Colts should consider putting on the protected practice squad:

QB Jacob Eason

Eason is the top candidate when considering players for the protected practice squad. One of the biggest challenges when projecting the 53-man roster for the Colts this season is what to do with the limited spots after having to carry three quarterbacks. Now, they don’t have to worry about that.

The Colts can carry their two quarterbacks in Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett on the active roster while Eason continues to work as the QB3 on the protected practice squad. The biggest reason for keeping Eason on the active roster was for fear of losing him during the waiver process on his way to the practice squad.

As long as he isn’t subject to waivers on this new protected practice squad, putting Eason there is a no brainer.

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3 UDFA rookies who could make the Colts roster

Which UDFAs have the best chance to make it?

The Indianapolis Colts have had a long track record of finding undrafted free agents over the years. They currently have the longest streak of having at least one undrafted free agent make the initial 53-man roster going into the season at 21 consecutive seasons.

With the offseason program being completely flipped on its heels, this season will be very tough for an undrafted free agent to make the Colts’ roster. There have been no organized team activities, or mini-camps, and those workouts are primarily used for undrafted free agents to make a name for themselves.

Now, with training camp being very limited in terms of on-field activity, and without any preseason games, plus it looks unlikely the Colts will have any scrimmage games with another team, it’s a long shot an undrafted free agent makes this roster.

But, the undrafted free agents have a chance, and here are a few that could make the Colts initial 53-man roster and continue the streak the Colts have held over the years:

DE Kendall Coleman

The defensive lineman out of Syracuse has a ways to go, but he’s got a chance. Coleman was a UDFA from Syracuse, and not many fans know his name, but they should.

Coleman has a long history with Colts legendary pass rusher Robert Mathis to the point where the duo have been working together. Suffice it to say, Coleman has impressed Mathis.

Coleman will be in a deep camp battle as he’ll be fighting for backup snaps with Al-Quadin Muhammad, Ben Banogu, and Tyquan Lewis. Depending on how many defensive ends the Colts keep, Coleman could sneak on the roster come September.

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10 potential targets for the Cardinals in the 4th round of the draft

Arizona has two selections in Round 4 – here are 10 players they could look to take with those two selections.

The Arizona Cardinals currently don’t have too many selections in this year’s draft, but they have two picks in the fourth round — picks Nos. 114 and 131 overall.

Here are a few players they could look to select with one of those two selections:

Syracuse EDGE Kendell Coleman

The Cardinals just met with Coleman, who would make a lot of sense in the middle rounds as a rotational edge rusher. He finished with 10 sacks as a junior in 2018.

Edge players are hard to find, and always needed so Coleman may not be around in Round 4, but if he is, Arizona may be a good spot for him.

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Chicago Bears 2020 Mock Draft 1.0

The Bears still have some needs to address on the offense and defense, which Colton tackles in his first mock draft of the season.

With the NFL Draft season in full swing, there’s no better time for a mock draft.

The Chicago Bears went into the offseason with a lot of holes on offense and defense. They filled out some defensive holes but it still needs work, and on the offensive side, they traded for Nick Foles and signed Jimmy Graham.

General manager Ryan Pace still needs to address the offensive line, cornerback, tight end, wide receiver, and safety. Yes, I know they just signed Graham but do you really feel comfortable with him playing tight end all year? I sure don’t.

The offensive line was the biggest problem for the Bears last year and it led to Mitchell Trubisky having a down year, and it also led to the running game not doing so well. So heading into the draft, addressing the offensive line should be at the top of the list.

Chicago’s wide receiver core is good, but I still think we can add to it, especially following the departure of Taylor Gabriel. It’d be nice if Pace went out and signed Robby Anderson in free agency, but his price tag is a bit too high for the Bears. So it looks like Pace will have to go get a receiver in the draft.

One of the most underlying needs for the Bears heading into the offseason is cornerback. Kyle Fuller has turned into one of the best corners in the NFL, however, Chicago, lacks solid depth around him. Although Buster Skrine is set in the slot, the Bears could use an outside presence to help Fuller. Instead of drafting a cornerback in the draft, the Bears can still go out and sign a guy like Jimmy Smith.

The Bears have seven picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, including a pair of second-rounders, one fifth round selection, as well as two picks in each the sixth and seventh rounds.

Without further ado, let’s get this mock draft on:

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Big Ten Wrestling Tournament: Elijah Cleary at 157 pounds

What does Ohio State’s 157 pound wrestler Elijah Cleary have to do to qualify for the NCAA Championships?

Elijah Clearly will be wrestling for the Ohio State Buckeyes at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. With the way the season ended, it looked like Quinn Kinner would be the starter at this weight class, but Cleary beat Kinner in a wrestle-off for the postseason spot.

Well, if Cleary wants to qualify for the NCAA Championships, he certainly has his work cut out for him. Cleary has improved as the season has gone on, and all of his matches have been very close this season (except for an 11-2 loss to Northwestern’s Ryan Deakin), but it will still be a tall order for the junior to find his way to the NCAAs in Minneapolis. Let’s look at his path and what he needs.

Big Ten Wrestling Championships: 157 pounds

Basic Info:

Buckeye Wrestler: Elijah Cleary
Seed:No. 11
Place needed to qualify: 6th

This is the Big Ten’s weakest weight class, with only six wrestlers.

Paths to the NCAAs

Winner’s Bracket

The simplest way to guarantee a spot in the top six is to reach the semifinals. That means winning your first two matches. Unfortunately, like Jordan Decatur at 133 pounds, winning the first two matches doesn’t seem like the best bet for the Buckeye.

Cleary will open his tournament against Michigan State’s Jacob Tucker. Tucker is a much higher-ranked wrestler, but Cleary should have a chance to make a match of it. If the Buckeye wins that match, he will face the winner of No. 3 seed Kendall Coleman of Purdue vs No. 14 seed Fernie Silva of Indiana. It’s not impossible for Cleary to beat Tucker or Coleman (or Silva), and if he can keep his matches close, anything can happen late. Still, it’s not the easiest of paths.

Consolation Bracket

If Cleary beats Tucker but loses in the second round, he will then have to win two straight matches to qualify for the NCAA Championships. The first will be against the winner of the consolation match from the other side of the bracket. That match features the losers of Ryan Thomas vs Garrett Model and Will Lewan vs Bo Pipher. If Cleary can win that, he would then need to win one more match–most likely against the winner of the first-round match between Eric Barone and Michael VanBrill. Cleary lost to Van Brill earlier this year, though he did beat Thomas in a match last year.

What if Cleary loses his first match? Then he would need to face the loser of Silva-Coleman in his first “wrestleback” match. If he wins that, he would face the loser of the second-round match from the Thomas-Model-Lewan-Pipher group. Winning that match would mean Cleary needs one more win to guarantee sixth place, and that match would likely be either Peyton Robb or Jahi Jones.

Other Buckeyes in this series:

125 pounds: Malik Heinselman
133 pounds: Jordan Decatur
165 pounds: Ethan Smith
174 pounds: Kaleb Romero
184 pounds: Rocky Jordan
Heavyweight: Gary Traub

5 NFL Draft prospects to watch for Lions fans in CFB Week 13

Five players Lions fans should watch in college week 13, including Zack Moss and Antonio Gandy-Golden

The college football season is wrapping up quickly. Just a couple of weeks are left on the Saturday slate, just a few more chances to get a leg up on the scouting for the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here are five players on display in Saturday’s games that should interest the Detroit Lions when draft season rolls around. Not every one of these is a top-shelf prospect. Remember, there are seven rounds and the Lions are in need of a lot of help…

Shaun Wade, CB, Ohio State

He’s only a redshirt sophomore but there are whispers Wade will declare early. And the twitchy 6-1 corner would look very good in Honolulu Blue.

Wade plays almost exclusively in the slot, which is unusual for a longer CB with his athleticism and speed. But it makes him a great fit for Detroit, which can use help inside given the recent play from Justin Coleman and the complete lack of depth behind him.

Two big feathers in Wade’s cap that you can check out when his Buckeyes face off against Penn State in the de facto Big Ten East title game (12 p.m. ET, FOX): he tackles like a strong safety and he communicates very well with his fellow DBs in transitions.

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