Tag: Lorenzo Neal

Eight former Titans nominated for 2025 HOF class

The nominees for the 2025 Hall of Fame class have been released and there are eight former Tennessee Titans who received a nomination.

The nominations for the NFL’s 2025 Hall of Fame class have been announced and there are eight former Tennessee Titans who could be among those inducted next year.

Delanie Walker, former Titans’ tight end, is one of 16 players on the list who are in their first year of eligibility. The other Titans include quarterback Steve McNair, running back Eddie George, running back Chris Johnson, fullback Lorenzo Neal, wide receiver Derrick Mason, cornerback Samari Rolle and kicker Gary Anderson.

There are 167 modern-era players nominated for the 2025 Hall of Fame class, including 94 offensive players, 56 defensive players, and 17 special teams players.

Around mid-October, the Screening Committee will announce a reduced 50-player list, and the full 50-person Hall of Fame Selection Committee will reduce the list to 25 players. A second vote will trim the number to 15 before a list of 20 nominees are presented to the full Selection Committee.

Those 20 nominees will consist of 15 modern-era players, three Senior Finalists, a Coach’s Finalist, and a Contributor Finalist. There is no set number of people to enshrine each year, but the selection process bylaws state that four to eight players will be inducted.

The committee will meet next year before the Super Bowl to make a final vote on who will be inducted. To be inducted, finalists must receive 80% of the vote.

Houston Gamblers DE Chris Odom among Texans’ 4 workouts

The Houston Texans worked out Houston Gamblers DE Chris Odom as part of their four-player workout on Day 1 of training camp.

The Houston Texans worked out four defenders on Friday during the first day of training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center, according to a league source.

The Texans brought in former Pittsburgh Steelers sixth-round pick Antoine Brooks. The former Maryland product played four games with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020, and then eight games with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021 after being let go in Pittsburgh.

The other defensive back the Texans worked out was former Kentucky Wesleyan product Kishawn Walker, who actually went to rookie minicamp with the Texans this offseason.

Houston worked out defensive end Chris Odom, a former 2017 undrafted free agent from Arkansas State via Arlington Martin High School. The 6-4, 256-pound edge defender has spent time with three NFL teams, but most recently was in the USFL playing for the Houston Gamblers, where he racked up 12.5 sacks.

The Texans also worked out defensive tackle Lorenzo Neal, an undrafted free agent from Purdue and Houston’s St. Thomas High School. Neal went to camp with the Denver Broncos last offseason, but was waived after the preseason.

6 former Chargers among modern-era nominees for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Find out who is representing the Chargers.

Six former Chargers have made the list of 122 modern-era players eligible for the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame.

They are as follows:

DB Antonio Cromartie

NT Lorenzo Neal

DL Leslie O’Neal

LB Takeo Spikes

DB Rodney Harrison

DB Bob Sanders 

It will be trimmed to a list of 25 semifinalists in November and then to 15 finalists in January.

The selection committee will meet after that to select the 2022 class, which will be enshrined next August.

Recently-released Saints Lorenzo Neal, Kendall Donnerson get new NFL opportunities

Recently-released Saints players Lorenzo Neal and Kendall Donnerson were picked up by new NFL teams:

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It’s not unusual for NFL teams to churn the bottom of their depth charts this time of year. With a week or more of training camp practice in the books and the first wave of NFL-mandated roster cuts still off in the distance (on Aug. 17, after Week 1 of preseason games), teams like the New Orleans Saints use this opportunity to reevaluate various position groups now that they’ve put together enough practice tape to make some informed decisions.

That’s why defensive linemen Lorenzo Neal Jr. and Kendall Donnerson were waived, along with rookie cornerback Lawrence Woods. And some of these players are already landing on their feet. Neal, a 325-pounder out of Purdue, quickly signed with the Denver Broncos. And Donnerson re-signed with the Carolina Panthers — before he joined the Saints for training camp, he spent most of May in Carolina for Panthers minicamps.

This follows a trend we saw last offseason, and again earlier this summer. While the Saints have lost a lot of depth, the players they’ve let go have often caught on with other teams across the league. That was the case in 2020 with many of their initial roster cuts. And it happened again during the 2021 salary cap crunch; so much so that many of their former players like Janoris Jenkins, Sheldon Rankins, and Emmanuel Sanders are scheduled to play against New Orleans this season.

So what does it mean? While this year’s roster is not as strong as what we’ve seen before, it does say a lot about their depth at some positions that castoffs are being rapidly signed by rival teams. Hopefully the reinforced position groups can make up for holes at other spots on the roster, because the Saints do have room to improve at, say, cornerback or wide receiver. It’s something to keep an eye on as the preseason approaches.

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Saints sign free agent OL J.R. Sweezy amid 6 roster moves

The New Orleans Saints announced six roster moves on Tuesday including the waiving of two rookies and the addition of free agent J.R. Sweezy:

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The New Orleans Saints announced a series of roster moves following Tuesday’s training camp practice. With their roster at its full 90-man capacity, players must now be waived or designated to reserve lists in order for new additions to join up. Most of the new signings were expected, but the team also brought in a veteran offensive lineman following free agent tryouts over the weekend. Here’s what you need to know:

Frank Gore sets record for career games by a running back

Frank Gore has now played the most career games (240) by a running back in league history, surpassing former NFL fullback Lorenzo Neal.

After taking the field in Week 15, Frank Gore has now played in 240 career games, the most by a running back in NFL history.

New York’s veteran running back passed Lorenzo Neal (239), who was more known for his work as a fullback. From 1993-2009, Neal played for eight different teams, including a single-season stop with the Jets in 1997.

Gore joined the Jets for what could be his 16th and final season. Coming into Sunday’s game, Gore had 546 rushing yards on 150 carries, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry, which ties a career-low.

The eventual Hall of Famer is just 107 yards away of reaching 16,000 rushing yards for his career. Gore has three games, including Week 15’s matchup against the Rams, to do so.

Frank Gore to set mark for most NFL games by running back

Frank Gore keeps on going despite being in his 16th season and heading into his 240th game

The New York Jets haven’t won a game in 2020. That shouldn’t stop anyone from considering their veteran running back Frank Gore a winner.

When Gore takes the field on Sunday with Gang Green against the Los Angeles Rams, it will be his 240th career NFL game. That will be the most in NFL history for a running back.

Gore will break the tie he currently is in with Lorenzo Neal, who played fullback for seven teams from 1993-2008.

Gore, 37, is in his 16th season. He has rushed for 15,893 yards and 80 touchdowns.

The former Miami Hurricanes star needs 107 yards in the Jets’ remaining three games to reach 16,000. He currently is third in NFL history, behind Emmitt Smith and the late Walter Payton.

 

D’Brickashaw Ferguson among 10 ex-Jets eligible for 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame class

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that 130 modern-era nominees, including 10 former Jets, would be eligible for the Class of 2021.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced that 130 Modern-Era nominees are eligible for the Class of 202l. A total of 10 ex-Jets are eligible, headlined by former OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson.

Retiring following the 2015 season, Ferguson is one of 14 first-year eligible nominees. That list also includes Peyton Manning, Calvin Johnson, Steven Jackson, Charles Tillman and Charles Woodson.

Occupying the left side of the offensive line for over a decade, Ferguson was a model of consistency. Across 10 seasons, Ferguson played in 160 straight games, never missing one. In fact, he played 10,707 out of 10,708 possible snaps, missing just one his entire career.

Another ex-Jet who is eligible is John Abraham, who is one of the best pass-rushers in franchise history. Nearly 15 years after trading him, the Jets haven’t come close to replicating his production off the edge, which included 53.5 sacks in green and white.

James Hasty played in 111 games for Gang Green from 1988-94 at the cornerback position. His career didn’t take off until he moved on to Kansas City, where he earned two Pro Bowl selections and All-Pro honors.

The remaining seven were footnotes in Jets’ history, but some played a pivotal role in the organization’s success. Alan Faneca, who is known more for his time in Pittsburgh, spent two seasons with Gang Green but helped the team reach the 2009 AFC Championship Game with his play in the trenches.

Nick Lowery finished out his career with Gang Green from 1994-96 after serving as the Chiefs’ primary kicker for 13 seasons. Lorenzo Neal played one season for Gang Green in 1997, starting all 16 games at fullback. Matt Turk punted in the NFL across 16 seasons and was New York’s legman for the 2002 season.

Derrick Mason, one of the better receivers of his generation, was one of the worst free agent signings in Jets history. He complained about the offense and was later demoted to the scout team; his tenure in New York lasted just two months. Josh Cribbs played just one season for the Jets in 2013; he was known more for his return abilities in Cleveland.

Finally, Tim McDonald never suited up for the Jets, but he was on Rex Ryan’s coaching staff as the team’s defensive backs coach from 2013-14.

After a large cutdown process, the Class of 2021 will be announced the day before Super Bowl 55 in Tampa, Florida.

Former Titans FB argues Derrick Henry deserves long-term contract over Ryan Tannehill

Former Alabama rb Derrick Henry is due for a long-term contract, a former titans great spoke out in defense of Henry and the contract.

Lorenzo Neal, the former four-time Pro Bowl full back, played with the Tennessee Titans from 1999-2000, he joined 102.5 FM The Game in Nashville, Tennessee to discuss Derrick Henry and the looming long-term contract extension.

After the Titans’ run to the 2019 AFC Championship game, the team re-signed quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who they traded for in the 2019 offseason, to a four-year deal worth $118 million.

Many were upset that Tannehill was extended with such a hefty contract, while their star running back, Henry, was only signed to a one-year deal with a long-term extension still in the works.

Some took this as a sign that the front office values Tannehill more than Henry.

Neal spoke on the matter.

“Tannehill got the money, but who deserved it? Lets put the rat on the table,” says Lorenzo. “Who is more valuable to that team? Its not even close. When derrick Henry is running and he’s running hard and effectively, he’s a tough out, and you saw that in the playoff game.”

The stance Neal holds is closer to the crowd that thinks Henry should be getting the money and longer contracts before anyone else, due to his massive contributions to the teams recent success.

The former fullback speaks highly of the former Alabama Heisman-winning running back. He makes it clear that Tannehill, while being a key part to the team’s offense, is not what got the team one win away from a Super Bowl appearance.

Henry’s agent, as well as the Titans front office, is very vocal about the efforts from both sides on reaching an agreement.

Roll Tide Wire will keep you updated on Derrick Henry and the likelihood of a long-term contract extension with the Tennessee Titans!

Lorenzo Neal: Titans’ Derrick Henry deserved extension more than Ryan Tannehill

Former Titans FB Lorenzo Neal believes Derrick Henry deserved an extension more than Ryan Tannehill.

Ever since Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill received a four-year, $118 million extension earlier this offseason, the debate has raged on about if he deserved it, and if he should have gotten one before running back Derrick Henry.

Of course, Henry ended up getting the franchise tag, but the Titans still have until July 15 to reach a long-term deal with their back, otherwise he’ll have to play out the 2020 campaign on the one-year tag, which pays him $10.2 million.

There’s no question that Henry is the heart and soul of the Titans’ offense after he carried the team to a pair of playoff wins during a 2019 season in which he led the NFL in rushing.

On the flip side of that argument, the Titans were a lowly 2-4 team six games into the campaign when Tannehill took over and helped turn the season around by leading the Titans to seven wins in their last 10 contests.

Well, if you ask former Titans fullback Lorenzo Neal, he says “it’s not even close” in terms of who is more valuable and he believes Henry deserved to get paid before Tannehill, as he explained on Jared and the G.M. on ESPN 102.5 The Game.

The deal Tannehill signed was substantial given that he’s only played 10 regular season games in Tennessee, but that’s just the reality of the quarterback market in this day and age.

And, while the number seems astronomical for such a short sample size, his average salary is still only ranked ninth among quarterbacks (it’ll be 10th once Patrick Mahomes signs his extension).

In reality, both players deserved to get paid after the sensational seasons they put together last year. Both Tannehill and Henry were elite at their respective positions and the Titans don’t make the run they did without one or the other.

The Titans have made it clear they want to keep Henry around and have been talking about an extension with him this offseason, but it’s also important that the team signs their back at fair value.

If the Alabama product is asking to be the highest-paid back in the NFL or something close to it, it’s naturally going to prolong the negotiations, as he simply doesn’t bring as much to the table as an Ezekiel Elliot or Christian McCaffrey.