Tag: Ricky Seals-Jones

Chiefs sign TE Ricky Seals-Jones to practice squad

The curious case of Ricky Seals-Jones continues.

Ricky Seals-Jones is back with the Kansas City Chiefs after being released from the 53-man roster last week.

Seals-Jones cleared waivers following his release and according to the NFL’s official transaction report on Wednesday, he’s officially been added back to the Chiefs’ practice squad. The team is using one of the veteran slots to accommodate Seals-Jones.

It’s been a curious story for Seals-Jones so far during his time in Kansas City. He spent 16 weeks taking up a spot on the 53-man roster and was seldom used. He was active for just a few games this season and only saw snaps in Week 6 against the Buffalo Bills and Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons. He dropped his lone target in those two games and didn’t have much of an opportunity to be the red zone threat that he was with the Cleveland Browns in 2019.

All-in-all, Seals-Jones played a total of six offensive snaps all season with the Chiefs and just five snaps on special teams. He was released ahead of the lone game where he’d likely see a lot of action, in Week 17 when the team rested their starters. Now, the Chiefs have decided to bring him back on the practice squad.

It’s possible that Seals-Jones could be utilized during the playoffs. The NFL recently approved unlimited practice squad standard elevations for the playoffs, so the team will be able to bring him up as they so choose. If the rest of the season is any indication, however, we likely won’t see Seals-Jones play much of a role moving forward.

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Cardinals have some of the worst team, player performances from last decade

They had two of the worst teams in the decade.

The Arizona Cardinals had their best five-year run in franchise history in the last decade. However, they also had some of the worst teams, units and player performances, too.

Football Outsiders’ Aaron Schatz wrote a piece for ESPN about the best and worst teams and players from 2010-2019.

Despite a great run in the middle of the decade, the Cardinals do not make any of the best lists. However, several of their teams and player seasons make the bottom.

2010 Cardinals

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals get the distinction of having two of the five worst overall team seasons in the last decade. The fifth-worst team was the 2010 Cardinals, the year after Kurt Warner retired, when Matt Leinart was cut and the Cardinals relied on Derek Anderson, Max Hall and John Skelton as starters. They went 5-11 that year.They had the second-worst defense in the league and the offense was ranked 26th.

They were -37.1% below the mean that year.

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Replacing TE Blake Bell a necessity for Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs used 12 personnel (two tight end sets) on over 30 percent of their plays in 2019.

Kansas City Chiefs fans might not initially look at Blake Bell’s role during the 2019 season and think much of it.

Bell played in a total of 18 games with the Chiefs in 2019, including the playoffs, starting seven of those games. He caught 11-of-18 passes for 91 yards, scoring his first career touchdown during the comeback win over the Texans in the playoffs. Four of his 11 receptions went for first down conversions.

At face value, Bell’s production looks entirely mundane and replaceable, but the role he played in Chiefs’ offense was vital. He was primarily utilized as a blocker for 12 personnel groupings in Kansas City. The Chiefs lined up in 12 personnel on over 30 percent of their offensive snaps in 2019, which is good for the fourth-most in the NFL.

The big realization from NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah here is that the five teams using this personnel grouping the most made it to the playoffs. Now there’s certainly more to the success of Chiefs than 12 personnel usage. And while Blake Bell is part of those groupings, he’s obviously not the only reason they’re successful. But that’s not to say the team doesn’t need to find an adequate replacement for Bell.

Including the playoffs, Bell played over 400 snaps as an inline blocker in 12 personnel looks for the Chiefs. During those snaps, Bell only allowed very few pressures in pass protection. As a run blocker, he wasn’t quite as successful with just a 57.7 run-blocking grade per PFF.

Bell, of course, left in free agency to join the Dallas Cowboys. So who do the Chiefs have tabbed to replace Bell in the 2020 season? They brought in free agent TE Ricky Seals-Jones, who is undoubtedly more of a threat as a receiver to Bell. He’s coming off of a career-high four touchdown season in 2019 with the Browns. Seals-Jones is also a better pass-blocker than he is a run blocker with grades above 70 in each of the past two seasons per PFF.

Returning from 2019 the Chiefs have Deon Yelder, who spent the season on the 53-man roster, but failed to do much besides play on special teams. Nick Keizer spent the entire season on the practice squad after a standout preseason performance in 2019, posting grades over 70 in each of receiving, pass blocking and run blocking per PFF. There’s also the dark horse in converted QB John Lovett, who played more of an H-back role for the Chiefs before landing on injured reserve with a shoulder injury during the 2019 preseason.

Kansas City has options and until they see the field it’s hard to determine who has the advantage right now. One thing is for certain for the Chiefs, if they’re to continue using 12 personnel at such a high rate, they must find a suitable replacement option. If they’re lucky they might even be able to find a player out of the bunch that is considered to be an upgrade over Bell.

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Former Chiefs TE Demetrius Harris helped persuade Ricky Seals-Jones to sign with Kansas City

Kansas City has a good reputation and even their former players are helping them land new free agents.

The Kansas City Chiefs added tight end Ricky Seals-Jones in free agency, but they might have lost out on him if it wasn’t for the experiences of former Chiefs TE Demetrius Harris.

Harris and Seals-Jones spent the 2019 NFL season as teammates on the Cleveland Browns. In that short time, they developed a friendship and a level of trust with one another. Given how unique the NFL free agency period has been without team visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic, players must have a certain level of trust in their new organizations. That was made a lot easier because of the things that Harris told Seals-Jones about the Chiefs franchise.

“I felt like Kansas City was honest,” Seals-Jones told Chiefs media members. “Also talking with Demetrius (Harris) all of the things that he had said previously they had said now in the present. It was like what they said and what he said were not two different things. You got a player who left and still shows respect for that organization and loves that organization. So that gives you a little bit of confidence when you’re going in and talking to another team. And they love Demetrius, so it was like perfect and that kind of helped. Then the offense and how they use their 12 personnel, it kind of all fit in perfect for me.”

Of course, there were some other things that influenced Seals-Jones and his decision to join Kansas City. It doesn’t hurt that they’re the reigning Super Bowl champions and have Andy Reid, who Seals-Jones called a “Hall of Fame coach.”

It also doesn’t hurt that when he first visited Arrowhead Stadium with the Arizona Cardinals during the 2018 season, the Chiefs Kingdom made an impression.

“Crazy fanbase,” Seals-Jones said. “That fanbase is, I would say, top five in the NFL. Great atmosphere. I’m excited to be a part of it and not against it.”

Had Harris not told Seals-Jones about his experiences in Kansas City, it’s entirely possible that he would be elsewhere. For now, it appears that the perfect storm of friendship, franchise, fit and a crazy fanbase landed Seals-Jones and his family in Kansas City for the 2020 NFL season.

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4 things to know about new Chiefs TE Ricky Seals-Jones

Get to know the Kansas City Chiefs’ newest offensive weapon.

The Kansas City Chiefs recently agreed to terms with tight end Ricky Seals-Jones on a one-year deal. Kansas City will be the third stop in the NFL for the 25-year-old athlete. Here’s a look at four things the Chiefs Kingdom should know about their newest player:

Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

Seals-Jones played receiver for the Texas A&M Aggies

Seals-Jones plays tight end in the NFL, but he was a five-star wide receiver recruit out of high school and played receiver for Texas A&M. In three seasons with the Aggies, Seals-Jones racked up 123 catches for nearly 1,500 yards and 10 touchdowns. The best game of his career came against the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2015, where he caught six passes for 107 yards and a touchdown. It was the 100-yard receiving game of his college career.

At 6-5 and 243 pounds, Seals-Jones ran a 4.69 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine. This led teams in the NFL to view him as a move tight end as opposed to a receiver. He’s more of an athlete and size mismatch when lined up against a linebacker or safety than he is when playing outside against a cornerback.

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Ex-Browns TE Ricky Seals-Jones will sign with the Chiefs

Seals-Jones was great for the Browns against the Ravens and Cardinals last year

Ricky Seals-Jones earned some fans in Cleveland for his hard-nosed play at tight end in 2019. The free agent won’t be back in 2020, however.

Per a report from Terez Paylor of Yahoo Sports, Seals-Jones has agreed to terms with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Terms of the deal are not yet disclosed.

Seals-Jones signed with the Browns last offseason after two seasons in Arizona. He made a big impact early in the season, catching three passes for 82 yards and a touchdown in the Week 4 Browns romp in Baltimore. He finished the season with 14 receptions for 229 yards and three TDs, starting three games. Seals-Jones battled a knee injury for several weeks as well.

Good luck to Seals-Jones with the Chiefs!

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Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Sunday’s Browns at Bengals NFL matchup, with NFL betting odds, picks and best bets

The Cleveland Browns (6-9) and host Cincinnati Bengals (1-14) will tangle at Paul Brown Stadium Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (on Fox). We analyze the Browns-Bengals sports betting odds and lines, with NFL betting picks and tips for the Week 17 matchup.

Browns at Bengals: Week 17 preview, betting trends and notes

Get some action on the game at BetMGM by placing a sports bet!

  • The Bengals wrapped up the No. 1 overall pick in 2020 NFL Draft with their overtime loss last week in Miami.
  • The Browns topped the Bengals 27-19 in Week 14, covering as 6.5-point favorites as the Over (43) connected.
  • The Browns are 0-5 against the spread in the past five road outings and 3-7-1 ATS in the past 11 games overall. They’re also 2-5-1 ATS in the past eight as a road favorite, and 1-4 ATS in the past five on the road against a team with a losing home record.
  • The Bengals are 1-4 ATS in the past five games overall, and 1-4 ATS in the past five inside the division. They’re also 1-5 ATS in the past six against teams with a losing record, and 1-6 ATS in the past seven at home.
  • The over has connected in four in a row for the Browns against losing teams.
  • The under is 12-3-1 for the Bengals in the past 16 as an underdog, and 10-4-2 in the past 16 vs. AFC.

Browns at Bengals: Key injuries

Browns: DE Olivier Vernon (knee), WR Odell Beckham Jr. (illness – expected to play) and TE Ricky Seals-Jones (illness) are all listed as questionable.

Bengals: CB William Jackson III (shoulder) has been ruled out for Week 17.

Browns at Bengals: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 2 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Bengals 23, Browns 20

Moneyline (?)

The BENGALS (+125) can’t ruin their chances at the No. 1 overall pick with a win, and they showed last week in a hellacious comeback in Miami that they’re not throwing in the towel. The Browns (-154) have nothing to play for in this one and are primed for the taking.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the moneyline returns a $12.50 profit with a Bengals victory.

Against the Spread (?)

The BENGALS (+2.5, +105) are plus-money at home, and therefore a pretty nice value. The Browns (-2.5, -129) haven’t been terribly consistent this season, and they’re especially erratic on the road.

Over/Under (?)

PASS. The 44.5 total is going to be close. If there was a lean, it would be to the under, which is actually 41-14-3 in the past 58 in December for Cleveland and 12-3-1 in Cincinnati’s past 16 as a ‘dog.

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. Looking for more sports betting picks and tips? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Olivier Vernon, Eric Murray still out from Browns practice

The quick turnaround doesn’t give much time to heal for the injured Browns

The short week leading into the Thursday night game at FirstEnergy Stadium doesn’t give the Cleveland Browns much time to lick any wounds from last week. Tuesday’s walkthrough (in lieu of a full practice) saw both DE Olivier Vernon and CB Eric Murray still out from the session.

Vernon and Murray both missed the Week 10 win over the Buffalo Bills with knee injuries. With just one more practice before the game, it seems unlikely either will play against Pittsburgh on Thursday. Coach Freddie Kitchens seemed more optimistic on Vernon than Murray, however.

The only other player with a limited status listing is tight end Ricky Seals-Jones. He also missed Week 10 with a knee injury. Kitchens termed Seals-Jones as “probably a game time decision” in his press address.