Tag: tryouts

19 XFL players receive NFL tryouts

The NFL is holding official tryouts for 19 players from the XFL

In what has been a hugely successful season for the rebooted ‘XFL’ league, it is coming to a head on Saturday, May 13, as the DC Defenders will face off against the Arlington Renegades to for the championship game. With the season under wraps for the rest of the league, multiple players find themselves on the fringes on a NFL roster spot thanks to their play within the league.

 

Some of the more notable names receiving invites include

-Former Cowboys quarterback Ben DiNucci, who leads the XFL in passing, will work out for the Denver Broncos.

-Former Cardinals wide receiver Hakeem Butler, who leads the XFL in receiving touchdowns, will work out for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

-Former Texans tight end Jordan Thomas, who has been out of the NFL since 2020, but has major athletic potential, will work out for the Carolina Panthers.

With the success of former XFL players such as Philip Walker, who saw action in six games last year, it has further opened the door for NFL teams to take notice of their smaller league counterparts. We could see a direct talent pipeline expand further with the success the league has experienced.

One of the most notable players who did not receive a tryout for the league is the Seattle Sea Dragons’ explosive wide receiver, Jahcour Pearson. With 670 yards on the season, Pearson leads the league in receiving and has become a certified superstar within the XFL. It highlights that success within the minor league will not always translate to NFL success.

It will be interesting to see if the players who received tryouts can stick around on a roster for the upcoming NFL season. At the very least, the experience these players gained during the XFL season could prove to provide more depth to rosters that are lacking.

Troy left tackle Austin Stidham invited to Saints rookie minicamp

Troy left tackle Austin Stidham has been invited to Saints rookie minicamp. He’s one of the most-experienced blockers in college football with 4,000 career snaps:

Former Troy left tackle Austin Stidham has been invited to New OrleansΒ  Saints rookie minicamp, the school announced Sunday. And he has a good shot at earning a contract offer. Stidham was one of the most-experienced blockers in college football with more than 4,000 career snaps, almost exclusively at left tackle.

He has the physical tools to hang at the next level, weighing in at 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds with long 34-inch arms, though he did not complete athletic testing before the 2023 NFL draft. Still, he’s a five-year starter at a competitive program, though he’s been charged with allowing 15 sacks and drawing 14 penalties in his college career, per Pro Football Focus charting. We’ll see if he has the movement skills to get by at the next level.

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Utah Tech DB Darrius Nash accepts invitation to Saints rookie minicamp

Utah Tech defensive back Darrius Nash accepted an invitation to try out at New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp. He has good size for a slot corner:

A number of undrafted hopefuls will be trying out at New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp in the weeks ahead, including Utah Tech cornerback Darrius Nash. The school announced that Nash has accepted an invitation to participate at the upcoming Saints rookie minicamp on a tryout basis. If all goes well, maybe he’ll get a contract offer out of it.

Nash brings good size at 6-foot-1 and 205 pounds and good-enough all-around athleticism to compete with pro talents. He predominately covered the slot but missed a lot of tackles, and he needs to play with better discipline to cut it at the NFL level. Good luck to him and the other first-years hoping to turn pro.

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Former Toledo TE Jamal Turner invited to Saints and Chiefs rookie minicamps

Former Toledo Rockets tight end Jamal Turner invited to try out at Saints and Chiefs rookie minicamps:

Here’s another player who has been invited to try out at New Orleans Saints rookie minicamp, per KPRC 2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson: former Toledo Rockets tight end Jamal Turner was invited to try out for both the Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs, so he may have to make a tough decision if both teams hold minicamp on the same three-day weekend (the NFL has not yet released the schedule for those workouts, which are staggered to help avoid this exact situation).

A sixth-year senior who spent most of his career blocking for one of the stronger rushing offenses in the MAC, Turner is very strong in that area of his game but lacks the agility skills and raw speed to be much of a factor as a receiving threat — he posted a mediocre 2.62 Relative Athletic Score and timed the 40-yard dash in 4.84 seconds, which is pedestrian at best by pro standards. Turner caught 29 of his 44 career receptions last season as well as 377 of his 563 total yards and 8 of his 9 touchdown catches.

Still, if he can prove he can hang with NFL talents and sustain blocks to open up rushing lanes, he’ll have a chance. That’s all undrafted rookies can ask for.

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Tryouts for the ‘Marching Ravens’ set to take place in early-April

Musically inclined Ravens fans are encouraged to attend tryouts for the Marching Ravens Band on April 1st

Are you a musically inclined Baltimore Ravens fan who is interested in showcasing your talents on gameday at M&T Bank Stadium? If so, the Ravens have organized a tryout for their Marching Ravens band on April 1st.

The Marching Ravens are a well-established fixture in the Baltimore community and have been a part of the Charm City’s game day experience since the 1940s. Initially appearing in support of the Baltimore Colts, the band continued to operate despite the Colts’ disbandment in 1950, and continued their tradition in 1953 when the new Baltimore Colts team was founded.

When the new Colts eventually moved to Indianapolis, where the franchise currently resides, the band started playing for the Baltimore CFL Colts and Stallions, which were part of an experiment by the Canadian Football League.

In 1996, when the Cleveland Browns moved to Baltimore and rebranded as the Ravens, the band made a triumphant return to action, and has been a staple of the team’s game day experience ever since. Their only NFL competition comes from the Washington Commanders, who also host a marching band.

This opportunity should be exciting for anyone in the Baltimore area who has an interest in becoming a part of the franchise’s tight-knit fabric. According to the Ravens’ official website, the band is comprised of more than 150 members with various roles within the organization.

If you or someone you know might be interested in becoming part of Ravens history, the team has directed prospective members to contact band president, John Ziemann, at (410) 701-4229 or email marchingravens@ravens.nfl.net for more information.

Chiefs host five players for tryouts on Tuesday

The #Chiefs hosted five defenders on tryouts on Tuesday, including former #Packers DT Mike Daniels.

The Kansas City Chiefs hosted several defensive players for tryouts on Tuesday. This comes following the decision to release RB/WR Jerrion Ealy from the practice squad.

Four of the players the team hosted are linebackers, which makes plenty of sense given the loss of veteran LB Elijah Lee, who was poached from the practice squad by the Chicago Bears last week. The other player that the team hosted is a veteran defensive tackle who got his NFL career started in Green Bay.

Below is a quick look at each of the players that the team had in for tryouts on Tuesday:

Saints host several free agent running backs on Tuesday

The Saints hosted several free agent running backs on Tuesday after parting ways with practice squad runner Jake Funk, in light of an injury to Mark Ingram II:

We can’t say the the New Orleans Saints aren’t looking for help. The team hosted several free agent running backs for a group tryout on Tuesday after parting ways with practice squad runner Jake Funk, and in light of an injury to Mark Ingram II — Jordan Howard was called up from the practice squad to back up Alvin Kamara and Dwayne Washington in Monday night’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens, but they could use more depth at the position. At least they’re trying after choosing to stand pat at the trade deadline last week.

Former Saints WR Kawaan Baker signs with the Packers after serving 6-game suspension

Former Saints WR Kawaan Baker signed with the Packers practice squad after serving his 6-game suspension:

A couple of former New Orleans Saints wide receivers found new teams this week. Kawaan Baker finished serving his 6-game suspension for an offseason PEDs policy violation and ended up signing with the Green Bay Packers practice squad following a group tryout.

Baker, 24, was selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft out of South Alabama but struggled to find snaps in the rotation despite a wave of injuries hitting the position in each of his two years in black and gold. Now he’s wearing No. 82 in Green Bay.

If there’s anything positive to take away here, it may be that the Saints feel optimistic about Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry getting off of the injury report soon. With Chris Olave back in the lineup, Baker would have been hard-pressed to get into games ahead of Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood, Rashid Shaheed, and practice squad receivers Kevin White and Kirk Merritt. Green Bay’s receiving corps is banged-up and talent-poor, so there are better opportunities for him up north.

And the Seattle Seahawks picked up former Saints wide receiver Easop Winston Jr. after a group tryout. A former Washington State Cougar, Winston spent most of the last year on New Orleans’ practice squad but was waived late in the summer during roster cuts. He’s on the Seattle practice squad closer to home after pursuing a couple of different opportunities as a free agent.

Quite a few former Saints players tried out for other teams this week. Here’s the full list, per the daily NFL transactions wire:

  • WR Kawaan Baker (Green Bay Packers-signed)

  • WR Easop Winston Jr. (Seattle Seahawks-signed)

  • WR Dai’Jean Dixon (Seattle Seahawks)

  • CB DaMarcus Fields (Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers)

  • CB Tre Swilling (San Francisco 49ers)

  • CB Ken Crawley (Tennessee Titans)

  • RB Abram Smith (Miami Dolphins)

  • OL Sage Doxtater (Arizona Cardinals)

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Packers work out 5 players, including 3 wide receivers

The Packers worked out five players on Tuesday. They signed one (Innis Gaines). Three of the others were wide receivers.

The Green Bay Packers reported workouts for five players on Tuesday, including three wide receivers.

Of the five, one signed: Safety Innis Gaines returned to Green Bay on the practice squad.

The other four players to work out for the team on Tuesday: receiver Jeff Cotton (Idaho), receiver Ty Fryfogle (Indiana), quarterback Steven Montez (Colorado) and receiver Charleston Rambo (Miami).

Cotton (6-2, 206) went undrafted in 2020. The 25-year-old has spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and (most recently) Arizona Cardinals. He played in one game for the Jaguars to end last season.

Fryfogle, a rookie, was a reported workout player on Monday. More on him here.

Montez (6-5, 236) went undrafted in 2020 after starting for three seasons at Colorado, where he tossed 63 touchdown passes and 33 interceptions. He’s spent time on the practice squads of the Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions over the last three seasons.

Rambo (6-1, 185) went undrafted in 2022. A three-year starter at Oklahoma and Miami, he spent time with the Carolina Panthers through training camp but was waived at final cuts. During his final season at Miami, he caught 79 passes for 1,172 yards and seven scores.

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Seahawks host 2 offensive linemen for tryouts, 1 for a visit

The Seattle Seahawks hosted tackle Myron Cunningham and guard Jordan Meredith for tryouts and guardΒ  Sebastian Gutierrez on a visit.

The Seattle Seahawks have a new NFL Offensive Player of the Week to protect in quarterback Geno Smith. To ensure depth on the offensive line, Seattle hosted two linemen for tryouts on Tuesday and one for a visit.

According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Seahawks worked out tackle Myron Cunningham and guard Jordan Meredith. Seattle also hosted guardΒ  Sebastian Gutierrez on a visit.

The Seahawks return to practice on Wednesday after an off day, so we’ll keep you posted on any new faces to take the field.

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