Tag: tryouts

6 players had tryouts with Broncos on Friday

The Denver Broncos brought in six players for tryouts on Friday — two linebackers, two defensive backs and two offensive linemen.

The Denver Broncos brought in six players for tryouts on Friday, according to the NFL’s transaction wire (via KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis).

The Broncos worked out two linebackers, two defensive backs and two offensive linemen. Here’s a quick review of the six players.

Linebacker Michael Barrett (6-0, 239 pounds) was picked by the Carolina Panthers in the seventh round of this year’s NFL draft out of Michigan. He was traded to the Seattle Seahawks this summer and then cut by Seattle. Barrett then had a brief stint on the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns.

Linebacker K.J. Cloyd (6-2, 228 pounds) went undrafted out of Miami this spring. He had brief stints with the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.

Offensive lineman Matt Farniok (6-5, 316 pounds) was picked by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft out of Nebraska. The guard/center dressed for 19 games for the Cowboys in two seasons, appearing in two games in 2022. He spent time on the practice squads of the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions in 2023.

Offensive lineman Brady Latham (6-5, 304 pounds) signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas this spring. He suffered a freak injury during the offseason when a hunting knife fell out of its sheath and wounded his calf. The guard-turned-center did not make New York’s roster.

Defensive back Keenan Isaac (6-2, 190 pounds) signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama State in 2023. The cornerback dressed for two games as a rookie and then had a brief stint with the Panthers before returning to the Bucs. Isaac dressed for five games this fall before being waived earlier this week.

Defensive back Jaylen Key (6-2, 210 pounds) was picked by the Jets in the seventh round of this year’s NFL draft out of Alabama. The safety started his rookie season on New York’s practice squad before being released in October.

Broncos tryout players

  1. LB Michael Barrett
  2. LB K.J. Cloyd
  3. DB Keenan Isaac
  4. DB Jaylen Key
  5. OL Matt Farniok
  6. OL Brady Latham

Denver’s 53-man roster and 17-player practice squad are both full. The Broncos might be looking at candidates for future contract signings after the 2024 season.

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Well-meaning Saints fans fall victim to open tryouts hoax

Don’t believe everything you read online. Some well-intentioned New Orleans Saints fans fell victim to an open tryouts hoax on Saturday:

Come on, people. According to New Orleans Saints linebacker Willie Gay Jr., multiple fans arrived at the team practice facility on Saturday looking to try out after falling victim to a hoax. Fake announcements spread around social media this week calling for fans to participate in public tryouts after a wave of injuries hit the team.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where it’s all too easy to fool people. Between the proliferation of social media and computer-generated imagery we’re seeing more scams pop up every day online, though in this case all it took was a bad actor who copied the Saints’ letterhead.

While the announcement falsely claimed that 40% of the roster was injured, necessitating these fictitious open tryouts, that isn’t too far off the mark. Of the 53 players on the active roster right now just 20 have not been listed on the injury report through the first seven weeks. The team’s training staff have struggled with injury prevention and things must change if they’re going to snap this five-game losing streak. Just don’t count on any local long-shots getting signed off the street.

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4 wide receivers worked out for Broncos, including Denzel Mims

The Broncos brought in four wide receivers for workouts, including former second-round draft pick Denzel Mims.

The Denver Broncos brought in four wide receivers for workouts on Tuesday, including former second-round draft pick Denzel Mims.

The Broncos hosted Kaden Davis, Leon Johnson, Lance McCutcheon and Mims, according to KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson.

Davis (6-1, 190 pounds) entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Northwest Missouri State with Denver in 2022. After spending time on the Broncos’ practice squad that fall, Davis spent the following spring playing in the USFL with the Michigan Panthers. He spent last year on the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals and this summer with the Detroit Lions.

Johnson (6-5, 207 pounds) signed with the Los Angeles Chargers as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State this spring. He was waived when L.A. set its 53-man roster in August.

McCutcheon (6-3, 202 pounds) entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Montana State with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022. He has since spent time with the Houston Texans and New York Jets.

Mims (6-3, 207 pounds) was picked by the Jets in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft out of Baylor. He hauled in 42 receptions for 676 yards in three seasons with the Jets before being traded to the Lions in 2023. After being waived/injured by Detroit, Mims spent time on the practice squad of the Pittsburgh Steelers last fall. He went to training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars this summer but did not make their 53-man roster.

The Broncos seem to be looking for reinforcements at receiver after their WRs struggled to create separation in the team’s season opener on Sunday. Another name that might be worth watching in the coming weeks is former New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas, who has now completed his one-game suspension. Thomas (6-3, 212 pounds) played for the Saints from 2016-2023, spending six years playing for coach Sean Payton.

Denver’s 53-man roster is full, so if the team adds any receivers, the team will have to make room on the active roster.

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2 players recently cut by Broncos work out for Saints

After being cut by the Broncos last week, WR Phillip Dorsett and P Trenton Gill worked out for the Saints on Monday.

One week after being cut by the Denver Broncos, two players worked out for the New Orleans Saints on Monday.

Former Broncos wide receiver Phillip Dorsett and ex-Denver punter Trenton Gill were among a group of players who visited the Saints, according to KPRC-TV’s Aaron Wilson.

Dorsett, 31, signed with the Broncos’ practice squad after the team set their 53-man roster last summer. Dorsett was elevated to the game-day roster twice in 2023 but did not record any receptions.

Gill, 25, competed with Riley Dixon for Denver’s punter job this summer. Gill showed off his powerful leg during preseason, but coach Sean Payton said the competition wasn’t close as Dixon retained the job.

New Orleans also worked out punter Corliss Waitman. who handled punting duties for the Broncos in 2022.

Denver made 38 roster moves last week to get down to a 53-man roster. So far, nine players cut by the Broncos have landed with NFL teams.

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Saints sign former Patriots second-round pick Joejuan Williams after group tryout

The Saints signed former Patriots second-round pick Joejuan Williams after a group tryout. He played college football at Vanderbilt:

The New Orleans Saints signed former Patriots second-round pick Joejuan Williams after a group tryout, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. The cornerback played college football at Vanderbilt and has lined up almost exclusively out wide in the NFL — on 436 of his 608 career defensive snaps, with 111 of them starting in the slot.

So he’s not exactly the Justin Simmons consolation prize some fans may have hoped for.  Instead, look for Williams to compete at the bottom of the depth chart with other corners like Rejzohn Wright, Mac McCain II, and Kaleb Ford-Dement. The Saints are still looking for players to round out their practice squad as guys like Rico Payton and Shemar Jean-Charles separate from the pack. And with injuries hitting three of their top four corners (Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, and Kool-Aid McKinstry) they need the help just to keep practice on schedule.

As for Williams? He’s listed  at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds and was drafted at No. 45 overall in 2019, the sixth cornerback to be picked. But he played out his four-year contract with the Patriots without intercepting a single pass. He’s since spent time with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings but has struggled to earn snaps for either team, instead coming up from their practice squad. He needs to impress right away if he’ll catch on with the Saints.

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3 offensive linemen worked out for the Broncos on Thursday

Offensive linemen Aaron Monteiro, Mike Novitsky and Mike Panasiuk worked out for the Broncos on Thursday.

The Denver Broncos brought in three offensive linemen for workouts on Thursday, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

Denver brought in tackle Aaron Monteiro, center Mike Novitsky and guard Mike Panasiuk.

Monteiro (6-6, 315 pounds) played college football at Boston College, earning third-team All-ACC recognition as a senior in 2018. He has spent time with the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders, but he has never played in a regular-season game.

Novitsky (6-5, 295 pounds) played college football at Buffalo and Kansas. He signed with the Seattle Seahawks in April and he was waived earlier this month.

Panasiuk (6-4, 300 pounds) played college football at Michigan State. He has spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders and Panthers but has only ever played in preseason games.

Elsewhere in the NFL, former Broncos wide receiver Trinty Benson and linebacker Justin Hollins worked out for the Commanders earlier this week. Hollins also worked out for the Indianapolis Colts.

Denver seems to be looking for more depth on the offensive line going into Week 2 of NFL preseason. We’ll track any potential signings on Broncos Wire.

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Former Saints WR Jarvis Landry to try out for the Jaguars

Jarvis Landry is back in the NFL. The former New Orleans Saints wideout is expected to try out at the Jacksonville Jaguars’ upcoming minicamp:

Jarivs Landry is back in the NFL after taking a year off to heal up from an injury-plagued season with the New Orleans Saints. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reports that Landry is expected to try out for the Jacksonville Jaguars at their upcoming rookie minicamp.

While these rookie minicamps are intended for, well, rookies — it’s common for veteran free agents to try out alongside first-year pros in hopes of landing a contract through training camp. If Landry looks like a better option than other players auditioning in Jacksonville, he could spend his summer catching passes from Trevor Lawrence.

Landry’s one year with the Saints didn’t go as planned. After rushing out the gates with 7 receptions for 114 yards in Week 1, he only caught 18 passes for 158 yards the rest of the season. A persistent ankle injury kept him out of eight games in 2022.

Maybe things will go smoother in Jacksonville. The Jaguars released veteran wideout Zay Jones after the 2024 draft, in which they picked Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round, so there aren’t many roster spots to go around.

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Saints invite a couple of undrafted locals to try out at rookie minicamp

A couple of former undrafted locals will be trying out at New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp in a few weeks:

You can’t say the New Orleans Saints are overlooking NFL talent in their  own backyard. A couple of undrafted players have been invited to participate in the Saints’ upcoming rookie minicamp on a tryout basis, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill: Tulane offensive lineman Cameron Wire and Mississippi State safety Shawn Preston.

Rookie minicamp has been scheduled for May 10-12. Wire’s Tulane teammate Sincere Haynesworth, the Green Wave’s longtime starting center, will be in the mix after signing an undrafted free agent contract with the Saints on Saturday. Preston is taking the same path to the NFL that Saints All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray did coming out of Mississippi State.

Wire mostly played left tackle in college (1,537 snaps), having spent the first four years of his career at LSU before transferring to Tulane in 2023. He’s also taken snaps at right tackle (139), right guard (133), and left guard (11), per Pro Football Focus charting. He’s from Gonzales, La.

As for Preston: he was a regular face in the Bulldogs’ defense over the last six years, lining up most often at free safety or in the box with occasional looks in the slot. The Vacherie, La. native also played special teams at Mississippi State and a strong performance in kicking drills could go a long way to help his case.

While this minicamp is mostly aimed at first-year players, NFL teams often invite veteran free agents to try out as well, and after the weekend they’ll typically sign some players who caught their eye.

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Saints sign a new fullback, but he isn’t new to their coaching staff

The Saints signed a new fullback, but he isn’t new to their coaching staff. Meet Zander Horvath:

The New Orleans Saints signed a new fullback, but he isn’t new to their coaching staff. Meet Zander Horvath, formerly of Purdue, whose addition was announced on Thursday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire.

Horvath, 25, played college football at Purdue before turning pro with the Los Angeles Chargers, who picked him in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft. He measured out exceptionally well in the pre-draft process with a 9.83 Relative Athletic Score (a metric which often lines up with attributes the Saints value). He weighed in at 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds but has been listed at 232 and 235 with different teams.

Former Chargers running backs coach Derrick Foster worked with him closely in L.A., so there’s an obvious connection with Foster holding the same position on staff these days in New Orleans. Horvath was waived during roster cuts last August and briefly landed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Chargers brought him back to their practice squad to close out the season. He wasn’t re-signed after that.

He wasn’t the only player the Saints tried out on Thursday; the wire also reports 232-pound running back Qadree Ollison as a participant. He’s a former Atlanta Falcons draft pick (fifth round in 2019) who was teammates with Horvath on the Steelers for a few months last season. The Saints must have liked what they saw from Horvath better.

This might mean the end of the road for Adam Prentice. The incumbent Saints fullback is a restricted free agent but he’s coming off a down year with dropped passes, blown blocking assignments, and a very unfortunate fumble. Offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak is going to be asking different things of his fullback than Pete Carmichael asked of Prentice last season, so they might look for someone else to push Horvath for the job in training camp.

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