Kevin White – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Saints sign former Bears No. 7 overall pick WR Kevin White

New Orleans Saints sign former Bears No. 7 overall pick WR Kevin White

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The New Orleans Saints have signed free agent wide receiver Kevin White following a group tryout on Tuesday, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport first reported. White, 29, spent his first three years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears after they drafted him at No. 7 overall out of West Virginia. He appeared in three games with the San Francisco 49ers last season but did not record a catch.

It doesn’t hurt to roll the dice on players with something to prove, especially at a weak position like receiver. Between injuries to Michael Thomas and Tre’Quan Smith and a looming suspension for Deonte Harris, the Saints don’t have much they can hang their hats on beyond second-year pro Marquez Callaway.

We’ll see if White has anything left in the tank. When he wasn’t missing time with injuries he was stuck with Mitchell Trubisky at quarterback and only caught 25 passes in 14 games with the Bears, averaging a mediocre 11.4 yards per catch and never scoring a touchdown. If he can’t make a splash now, his NFL career might be at it is end.

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Former Notre Dame Athletic Director Kevin White Retiring From Duke

When Jack Swarbrick took over as Notre Dame athletic director in 2008, he was following an eight-year tenure from Kevin White.

When Jack Swarbrick took over as Notre Dame athletic director in 2008, he was following an eight-year tenure from Kevin White. Since 2000, the Irish had seen the women’s basketball team win the 2001 national title and Mike Brey be hired as men’s basketball coach. White left South Bend to become Duke’s athletic director. Now, White is set to retire in August.

Under White’s leadership at Duke, the men’s basketball program has won the national championship twice. It also took home three national titles in men’s lacrosse, two in women’s golf and one in women’s tennis. The football team has made six bowl games and one ACC Championship Game appearance since 2012 after 17 consecutive losing seasons. More recently, Kara Lawson was hired as women’s basketball coach.

We wish the best of luck to White as he finishes his career. Naturally, we also hope that any success Duke has during that time doesn’t impede with Notre Dame success.

49ers restore QB Josh Johnson, WR Kevin White to practice squad

The San Francisco 49ers restored quarterback Josh Johnson and wide receiver Kevin White to the practice squad from the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Thursday. White and Johnson had been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list last week.

White, a former first-round pick by the Chicago Bears, has spent the majority of the season on the team’s practice squad, but suited up in three games this year. While he did not record a reception, he has returned a single kickoff for 20 yards.

Johnson joined the club’s practice squad in mid-November. Frustratingly for him, he seemed poised to finally be promoted to the active roster after Nick Mullens suffered a season-ending elbow injury. However, the 49ers have since added former first-round pick Josh Rosen and seem set at QB.

2 more San Francisco 49ers placed on Reserve/COVID-19 list

The San Francisco 49ers have added quarterback Josh Johnson and wide receiver Kevin White to the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday.

Those in and around the San Francisco 49ers organization should be on high alert. The team placed quarterback Josh Johnson and wide receiver Kevin White on the Reserve/COVID-19 list on Tuesday, bringing the total number of players on the list to five. It’s unclear whether the players tested positive or came into contact with someone who tested positive.

Johnson joined the club’s practice squad in mid-November. Frustratingly for him, he seemed poised to finally be promoted to the active roster after Nick Mullens suffered a season-ending elbow injury. However, now, if Jimmy Garoppolo is still not ready to return, the 49ers might need to find another quarterback.

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49ers activate WR Richie James Jr. off IR, flex 2 from practice squad

The 49ers activated wide receiver Richie James off Injured Reserve as part of a trio of roster moves.

The 49ers on Saturday made a trio of roster moves ahead of their showdown with the Los Angeles Rams.

Wide receiver and kick returner Richie James Jr. was officially activated off the Injured Reserve list, and defensive lineman Darrion Daniels and wide receiver Kevin White were flexed off the practice squad.

James was placed on IR after Week 1 when he injured his hamstring. His practice window was opened last week, but he wasn’t healthy enough to play. He’ll likely resume kick and punt return duties which have been held by a combination of White, Trent Taylor, Dante Pettis and Jerick McKinnon since James went down.

With only 52 players on the roster there was no corresponding move to make room for James.

White will be flexed onto the active roster from the practice squad for the second week in a row. He handled kick return duties last week, but head coach Kyle Shanahan said he brought White up because of his ability to play other special teams spots. He’ll likely fill those same roles again if he suits up while relinquishing return duties to James.

Daniels is an undrafted rookie who’ll make his first appearance on the active roster. He played his college ball at Oklahoma State and Nebraska, and will offer depth along the interior of the defensive line for San Francisco against a very good Rams offense.

49ers roster moves: 2 players go on IR, WR Kevin White among 3 activated

The 49ers made a slew of roster moves ahead of their Week 5 matchup vs. the Miami Dolphins.

The 49ers on Saturday made a few roster moves in preparation for Sunday’s showdown with the Miami Dolphins. They officially placed Ezekiel Ansah and K’Waun Williams on Injured Reserve and added three players to their game day roster, including two cornerbacks and a wide receiver.

Ansah will go on IR for the season with a torn biceps he suffered vs. the Eagles. Williams should only have a short-term stay on the injured list. He sprained his knee vs. Philadelphia and will be out a minimum of three weeks. San Francisco opens a roster spot by adding him to IR.

Cornerback Jamar Taylor will play the nickel corner spot with Williams out. He was flexed from the practice squad last week, but this week he was promoted to the 53-man roster. He saw action late last week when Williams left with his injury. Against the Dolphins he figures to get plenty of work in the slot as the primary nickel back.

The 49ers flexed two players off their practice squad to the active roster. Cornerback Brian Allen will provide some much-needed depth in a depleted 49ers secondary. He’s been with the club’s practice squad since the middle of September. The other addition for game day is former Bears first-round pick Kevin White. White has been with the club since training camp and gives them a player to hold Deebo Samuel’s roster spot if Samuel can’t suit up. He’s questionable with an illness, although he successfully passed through the NFL’s COVID-19 protocols.

If Samuel is healthy and playing it’s hard to imagine White suits up, unless San Francisco plans on one of Dante Pettis or Trent Taylor not playing. They both had limited practices Wednesday before full sessions Thursday and Friday.

Expect the 49ers to continue making pre-game tweaks like this while they continue to navigate their injury woes.

49ers announce 4 protected practice squad players for Week 1. So, what does that mean?

The 49ers announced their four protected practice squad players thanks to new COVID-19 practice squad rules.

The 49ers on Tuesday announced their first four “protected” practice squad players of the year. Offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu, wide receiver Kevin White, defensive end Dion Jordan and cornerback Dontae Johnson.

Under the new practice squad rules designed to mitigate some of the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, teams are allowed to “protect” up to four players from their 16-man practice squad roster each week.

Those “protected” players aren’t able to be poached off a team’s practice squad. If a “protected” player is not elevated to the active roster, he can sign an NFL contract with any club either after his team’s game or at 12:01am Eastern Time the next day – whichever comes later. If that player does get elevated to the active roster, he reverts back to the practice squad and can sign an NFL contract with any team beginning at 4:01pm Eastern Time on the first business day after his team’s game. Other clubs aren’t allowed to contact protected players until after his team’s game. “Protected” designations go into effect Tuesday at 4:00pm Eastern Time, except for the teams that played on Monday Night Football. Their designations go into effect at 4:00pm Eastern Time Wednesday.

For San Francisco the selections all make sense given their injury issues at some positions. Grasu can fill in at center if Ben Garland is unavailable after dealing with an ankle injury since training camp. White, Jordan and Johnson are all depth options at three positions where the 49ers are banged up.

At receiver they could be without both Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk the first week. At defensive end they only have three true edge rushers with Dee Ford, Nick Bosa and Kerry Hyder. Having Jordan gives them a little wiggle room in the event a player becomes unavailable between Tuesday and Sunday. Johnson knows San Francisco’s defense well and holds a similar role to Jordan where he gives some insurance in case something goes awry during the week of practice.

49ers add 2 WRs, waive WR and DL

The San Francisco 49ers added a couple wide receivers, then waived a WR and DL in a corresponding move.

The 49ers on Thursday made a couple new additions to their roster. San Francisco announced the signing of wide receivers River Cracraft and Kevin White to help their ailing receiving corps. In a corresponding move they waived WR Jaron Brown and waived/injured defensive lineman Jonathan Kongbo.

Cracraft and White were both part of a workout earlier in the week. Cracraft signed with the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He played in nine games and posted one catch for 40 yards. He also had 12 punt returns, which may be his path to sticking with the 49ers.

White was a high-profile prospect in the 2015 draft. He went No. 7 overall, but missed his first year with an injury. That set the tone for his entire career. White has played in just 14 games since 2015, including none in 2015 and none last season after spending the preseason with Arizona. He has 25 catches for 285 yards and no touchdowns in his career. White is a great combination of size and athleticism who could carve out a role in the NFL once he’s healthy.

Kendrick Bourne will have more targets than Brandon Aiyuk with Deebo Samuel out Discuss it here!

Niners Forum: HQ for all Niners conversations

Neither White nor Cracraft are likely to land on the 53-man roster since they’re joining a crowded group late in training camp, but the 49ers need capable bodies at that position with Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel, Richie James Jr. and Jalen Hurd all out with injuries.

Brown and Kongbo were both let go to make room on the 49ers’ 80-man roster. Brown was signed on August 19, but didn’t perform well enough in camp to stick around. Kongbo was waived with an injury designation, so he’ll revert to the 49ers’ Injured Reserve if he clears waivers.

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Former Bears 1st-round pick Kevin White knows he’s a bust

When you mention the name Kevin White, there are a lot of things that come to mind. But one word sums it up best: Bust.

The former No. 7 overall pick failed to live up to his first-round billing during his four years in Chicago. Injuries halted any sort of progress he could’ve — should’ve — made during his career. But perhaps the most frustrating thing is the “what ifs.” What could White have become if he’d actually been on the field?

There are many people that consider White a bust — arguably the Bears’ biggest in the last several years. And White would agree with their assessment.

“People can say bust or whatever the case may be, and it is attached to my name by default,” White said in an interview with NBC Sports Chicago. “So I think for me, okay, you can say Kevin White’s a bust because it didn’t work out. Absolutely.

“But you can’t say Kevin White can’t play this game or Kevin White can’t get open or Kevin White’s dropping passes. You couldn’t say any of that. Not at practice, not in the little bit of games that I did play.

“You could say injuries, you know, held me back but you can’t say I was out there and just pissed it all (away) — you can’t say that. So that’s how I deal with it.”

For White, the issue has always been injuries. In four years with the Bears, White suffered three serious injuries that limited him to just 14 games during that time, where he racked up just 285 receiving yards.

White acknowledged that injuries and missing that on-field experience has hampered any opportunity for him to prove he can play in the league. When the Bears let him walk and hit free agency, he signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. But a Grade 3 hamstring tear in Cardinals camp ended his time in Arizona before it even started.

“If I was out there playing, healthy and I couldn’t get open, getting strapped every play or dropping balls — okay, I can take that and yeah, I didn’t do well, I haven’t been playing well and I’m a bust because of my numbers,” White said. “But with injuries and not being out there, I can’t do anything.”

White’s frustration with how his NFL career has panned out is understandable. But while White’s certainly upset with his injury struggles, he’s determined not to let that consume his life.

“I got dealt bust cards and can’t cry about it, complain about it, but it is kind of a punch in the stomach,” White said. “It’s like, I got all the talent in the world, done it the right way. Like why, God? What am I doing wrong? What do you want me to see out of being hurt year after year after year?

“You can’t let one thing in your life — OK, let’s say I never play a down of football ever again. I can’t let that consume the rest of my life. That’s like a smidge compared to, hopefully, how long I’m gonna live. But it’s also a big part of my life so I do care about it, I do think about it but I’m not going to let it consume my life.”

White remains a free agent, where he’s still waiting for his second chance to prove that he can make something of himself. Whether that chance ever comes remains to be seen.

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Ranking Ryan Pace’s 5 worst draft picks as Bears GM

Let’s take a look at Bears GM Ryan Pace’s five worst draft picks, which includes three failed first-round selections.

With the 2020 NFL Draft upon us, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace will be bringing in a new crop of talent that he hopes will have a positive impact on this roster moving forward.

When you examine Pace’s draft history, it’s filled with some studs and some duds. Unfortunately, here, we’re going to be looking at the busts that Pace has drafted in his five years as Bears GM.

Let’s take a look at Pace’s five worst draft picks, which includes three failed first-round selections.

5. OL Hroniss Grasu (Round 3, 2015)

When the Bears drafted Hroniss Grasu, they were hoping that he’d become an anchor of their offense line for the future. That wasn’t the case for Grasu, who struggled

Due to injury on Chicago’s offensive line, Grasu started eight games in his rookie season, where he struggled against some of the competition. He was primed to compete for the starting center position before suffering a season-ending knee injury in training camp. While Grasu had lost his starting role to rookie center Cody Whitehair and left guard Josh Sitton, he got another chance once again due to injuries on the offensive line. In 2017, Grasu appeared in six games — including four starts — before being let go ahead of the 2018 season.

As is the case for two other players on this list, injuries were a factor in Grasu’s downfall. That, and the fact that his uninspiring play didn’t exactly warrant a second contract.

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