Tag: tryouts

Chiefs hosted three free agents for tryouts on Saturday

The Kansas City Chiefs are doing their homework on some offensive linemen.

The Kansas City Chiefs continue to look for ways to improve their roster, this time looking at a trio of offensive linemen. According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Chiefs had three players in for tryouts on Saturday. Among those trying out for Kansas City were veteran OL Patrick Omameh, OT Paul Adams and OT John Leglue.

Omameh, 30, spent the 2019 season with the New Orleans Saints. He appeared in 14 games, starting at left tackle in their Week 11 road win against the Atlanta Falcons during Thanksgiving. He also filled in at left guard on occasion for New Orleans. An undrafted free agent out of Michigan in 2013, Omameh has started a total of 57 games during his career. Most of his experience comes playing guard, but he has the ability to play tackle in a pinch. The Saints released Omameh during their final roster cuts.

Leglue, 24, was also released by New Orleans during 53-man roster cuts. Leglue was originally signed by the Broncos as an undrafted free agent out of Tulane in 2019. He was released and spent most of the 2019 season on the Saints’ practice squad before he was poached by the Green Bay Packers late in the season. The 6-6 and 301-pound offensive lineman has the versatility to play tackle or guard.

Finally, the Chiefs worked out former University of Missouri OT Paul Adams. He originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants in 2019. He’s since spent time on the practice squad for the Cleveland Browns and he spent this most recent offseason with the Washington Football Team before his release during 53-man roster cuts.

Kansas City also recently had in former Bills OT Brandon Walton in for a visit. It’s clear they’re trying to add some more versatile depth for the offensive line. Specifically, they seem to be looking at players that have the flexibility to play tackle. They currently don’t have anyone on their 16-man practice squad with experience playing tackle. The Chiefs didn’t retain either of the two depth tackles who were with them this offseason in Jackson Barton and Greg Senat.

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Former Saints WRs Emmanuel Butler, Cameron Meredith among Lions tryouts

The Detroit Lions tried out several free agents including former New Orleans Saints wide receivers Emmanuel Butler and Cameron Meredith.

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The New Orleans Saints did not report any free agent visits or tryouts on the daily NFL transactions wire, but two of their former wide receivers auditioned for the Detroit Lions: second-year pro Emmanuel Butler and veteran free agent Cameron Meredith.

Butler spent his 2019 rookie season with the Saints practice squad and looked solid in training camp over the summer, but didn’t make the team. Right now, the Saints have five receivers on the 53-man roster (Michael Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Tre’Quan Smith, Deonte Harris, and rookie Marquez Callaway) plus three more options on their practice squad (Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Austin Carr, and rookie Juwan Johnson).

Meredith was a notable restricted free agent pickup for the Saints a few years, but lingering health issues from a 2017 knee injury limited his availability. After the Saints released him, Cameron spent time with the receiver-needy New England Patriots last year but wasn’t able to get activated from the physically unable to perform list. He’s still trying to make a go of it in the NFL, so it’s possible his body has recovered.

Neither receiver was initially signed by the Lions following their tryout, however (with former Michigan State quarterback Bryan Lewerke throwing to them). More team visits could be ahead for them, but at this stage both former Saints are looking for work. Hopefully they’ll find it soon.

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Bears host free agent LB Alec Ogletree for tryout

The Bears hosted a few inside linebackers for tryouts on Friday, including former Giant Alec Ogletree.

The Chicago Bears brought in a trio of linebackers for a tryout on Friday, including veteran Alec Ogletree. MMQB’s Albert Breer reports the Bears hosted linebackers Ogletree, Devante Bond and Gabe Sewell in an effort to potentially improve their linebacking corps.

Ogletree, drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the-then St. Louis Rams, has enjoyed a solid career as a perennial starter in the NFL. His best season came in 2016 when he totaled 136 tackles and picked off two passes.

After five seasons with the Rams, he was traded to the New York Giants in 2018. That season, he had a career-high five interceptions, including a pick-six against the Bears and quarterback Chase Daniel. Ogletree was released earlier this year.

Bond, meanwhile, spent time in Chicago last season after being drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2016. He played three games for the Bears in 2019. Finally, Sewell is an undrafted free agent out of Nevada.

Ogletree is clearly the marquee name on this list and would instantly give the Bears much-needed depth at the inside linebacker position behind Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan, as well as another veteran presence. It remains to be seen whether he, Bond or Sewell end up signing a deal.

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Chiefs had three players in for tryouts on Monday, including WR Marcus Kemp

A familiar face was in Kansas City for a tryout on Monday.

The NFL lifted its moratorium on tryouts at team facilities and the Kansas City Chiefs have reported their first three tryouts of 2020, including a familiar face. According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Chiefs brought WR Marcus Kemp, CB Kemon Hall, and CB Brandon Williams for tryouts on Monday.

The Chiefs are most familiar with Kemp, who joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Hawaii in 2017. He appeared in 16 games for the Chiefs in 2018, but only recorded one catch for seven yards. Kemp was tracking to make the 53-man roster and have a bigger role in 2019 when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL during the Week 2 preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

If Kemp is close to being fully recovered from his knee injury, he could certainly help the team as they deal with some soft tissue injuries to a few players at the WR position. He was also a starting gunner in Kansas City, so his return could churn some competition on special teams too.

The team is also dealing with some injuries to the CB group, including a season-ending injury for Alex Brown. They brought in Hall, who was a 2019 undrafted free agent signing out of North Texas by the Los Angeles Chargers. He finished the 2019 season on the practice squad with the Minnesota Vikings. He was cut two weeks ago by the Vikings to make room for players returning from the reserve/COVID-19 list. Hall was known as a playmaker in college, recording five interceptions and 14 passes defended as a senior.

Williams, a 2016 third-round draft pick by the Arizona Cardinals, spent the 2019 season on injured reserve after having surgery for a back injury. The 6-foot 200-pound CB appeared in 45 games for the Cardinals, starting in three games over the course of three seasons. He recorded 38 total tackles and five passes defended. He was primarily utilized on special teams, but he does have some man coverage ability. It’s worth noting he spent two seasons with Tyrann Mathieu in Arizona, so two former teammates could be reunited in Kansas City.

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Saints report multiple free agent tryouts at training camp

The New Orleans Saints tried out a group of five free agents after training camp practice, including four tight ends and WR Jake Lampman.

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The New Orleans Saints reported tryouts with five free agents following Monday’s training camp practice session, per the NFL transactions wire. And two of those names might be familiar to Saints fans.

Most notable is wide receiver Jake Lampman, who first entered the NFL on an undrafted free agent deal with the Saints back in 2016. The Ferris State alum began his rookie year on the practice squad but logged just 89 snaps on special teams before being released. He was quickly snatched up by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where the 6-foot-0, 205 pound wideout hung around for a few years.

Another former member of the Saints called in for the tryout was tight end A.J. Derby, originally a sixth-round draft pick by the New England Patriots. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, he joined the Saints late in the 2019 preseason but wasn’t able to crack the roster. Before that, he was traded several times, taking the field with the Patriots (4 games), Denver Broncos (15 games) and Miami Dolphins (6 games).

The other three tryouts were all new to New Orleans, and all play tight end. The group was rounded out by Ethan Wolf, Donnie Ernsberger, and Ryan O’Malley. They have combined for four regular season game appearances between the three of them.

So why all the interest in tight ends? The Saints have been without Josh Hill for much of training camp due to an unspecific injury, and he’s a valuable co-starter in the Saints offense. With two backups having opted out due to the COVID-19 pandemic and rookie quarterback Tommy Stevens transitioning to the position, the Saints probably wanted to see if they could add someone more experienced to pad out the practice rotation. They haven’t signed anyone yet, but stay tuned.

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Chiefs now permitted to hold tryouts at club facilities

The NFL has lifted its moratorium on tryouts at team facilities. What does that mean for the Chiefs?

The NFL has lifted its moratorium on tryouts, enabling the Kansas City Chiefs to bring free agents to showcase their talents at team facilities. That means the Chiefs could see some movement at the bottom of the roster or with some remaining free agents they’ve been hoping to bring in for tryouts and physicals. This will help the team establish a good call list of players for the 2020 season as well.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero broke the news of the NFL’s decision, sharing the memo on tryouts sent to NFL teams. As the league continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the resurgence of tryouts comes with certain stipulations. For instance, free agents must pass two COVID-19 tests before they’re allowed on the field at a team facility for a tryout or in the building for a physical examination.

Some of the additional stipulations for in-person tryouts at club facilities are as follows:

  • Teams aren’t allowed to have any player on the roster participate in the tryout or interact with the tryout player. This seems to mitigate any potential risk of exposing players to the virus. Other players aren’t even allowed to be present at the team facility when the tryout occurs.
  • Teams can only have a total of eight players in for tryouts on a given day.
  • Teams are allowed to have the same player in for a tryout up to four times during the 2020 NFL season. That number can reset for if a given player is signed and then terminated by another club or tests positive for COVID-19 during their initial visit.

At the end of the day, the NFL is doing what they can to keep things normal in terms of providing free agents opportunities to sign with teams and keep rosters across the league competitive. They’re also making sure that they eliminate any risk of contaminating the pseudo-bubbles they’ve created for each of the 32 NFL teams during the course of training camp.

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Saints work out free agent pass rushers including Noah Spence, Shane Ray

The New Orleans Saints are managing injuries along their defensive line, so they worked out free agents like Noah Spence and Shane Ray.

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The New Orleans Saints worked out several veteran pass rushers on Tuesday, per a report from Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Wilson reported that players involved in the tryouts included Noah Spence, Shane Ray, and Chris Smith. With two starting defensive linemen sidelined by injuries against the San Francisco 49ers last week (Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport each exited the game) and a top backup on the mend after taking a painful shot to the knee (Trey Hendrickson), it makes sense for the Saints to consider their options.

Spence was frequently connected to the Saints ahead of the 2016 NFL Draft; the team met with him extensively before that year’s Reese’s Senior Bowl and hosted him in New Orleans on an official visit, which reportedly went well. Spence finished his college career at Eastern Kentucky after initially playing with the Ohio State Buckeyes, making him one of several prospects the Saints studied (they ended up drafting both Michael Thomas and Vonn Bell in the second round that year, each of whom played with Spence at Ohio State). However, Spence failed to gain traction after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected him, and was waived during roster cuts before the 2019 season.

Ray was a highly-touted former first-round draft pick by the Denver Broncos out of Missouri, but injuries and ineffectiveness resulted in him testing free agency after his contract expired. The Baltimore Ravens took a shot on him over the summer but waived him during roster cuts, and he hasn’t yet caught on with another team.

It’s a similar story for Chris Smith, who spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals before playing for the Cleveland Browns this season. The sixth-year pro was released in early December after signing a three-year contract with the Browns back in March.

At this point in their careers, each of these players are probably going to make their best impact at the end of a pass-rush rotation. Katherine Terrell of The Athletic reported that it doesn’t appear the Saints are looking to add any new players at this time, instead using these veteran workouts as an opportunity to update in-house scouting report.

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Broncos worked out 19 players, including QB Tyree Jackson

The Broncos worked out more than a dozen players this week, including former Buffalo quarterback Tyree Jackson.

We already knew that the Denver Broncos worked out former Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald on Tuesday. Thanks to NFL reporter Howard Balzer, we now know the names of 18 other players that worked out for the team.

In addition to Fitzgerald, Denver also worked out two other QBs: Taryn Christion and Tyree Jackson. Here’s the complete list of players that worked out for the Broncos, according to Balzer:

  • WR Tyre Brady
  • WR De’Mornay Pierson-El
  • WR DeAndrew Thompkins
  • WR Trevion Thompson
  • WR Alex Wesley
  • WR Papi White
  • QB Taryn Christion
  • QB Nick Fitzgerald
  • QB Tyree Jackson
  • TE Tyree Mayfield
  • OG Larry Allen
  • OG Joshua Garnett
  • OG Bunchy Stallings
  • OT Ka’John Armstrong
  • OT Brian Fineanganofo
  • RB Alex Barnes
  • RB Nick Brossette
  • RB Jeremy Cox
  • RB Matthew Dayes

Jackson (6-7, 249 pounds) is likely the most notable player on the list. He threw for 6,999 yards and 49 touchdowns during his three years at Buffalo and rushed for 757 yards and 16 more scores. Jackson signed with the Bills as a college free agent in April but failed to make their 53-man roster.

Related: Broncos worked out 16 players last week.

Jackson was selected by the DC Defenders in the XFL draft for the upcoming 2020 season but he would likely turn down a chance to start in the upstart league if he is invited to camp by an NFL team.

Jackson and the other players that worked out for the Broncos are likely being considered as “future contract” candidates. Players not on an active roster at the end of the season are eligible to sign future deals that become official when the new league year begins in March.

At the end of last season, Denver signed 10 players to future contracts.

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Panthers work out four kickers after Joey Slye’s rough day vs. Saints

Carolina Panthers kicker Joey Slye had a bad day against the New Orleans Saints, causing Carolina to try out free agents like Kai Forbath.

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The New Orleans Saints defeated the Carolina Panthers after some spotty kicking from Panthers specialist Joey Slye last Sunday, and the team is taking steps to find a better answer at the position, according to a report from Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Slye missed two extra point tries and a 28-yard field goal against the Saints in a game Carolina lost 34-31, dropping them to 5-6 on the season.

Ironically, Carolina’s free agent tryouts included former Saints kicker Kai Forbath, who appeared in 10 games for New Orleans back in 2015. Forbath went 9-for-13 on field goal tries and 33-for-34 on extra point attempts that season before stints with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Other kickers who worked out for Carolina per Wilson’s report were Elliott Fry (66-of-88 on field goals in 51 games at South Carolina, but no extensive NFL experience), Greg Joseph (17-of-20 in 14 games with the Cleveland Browns last year), and Nick Rose (11-of-14 in 10 games for two teams from 2017 to 2018).

The Panthers haven’t made any moves yet beyond adding Joseph to their practice squad, but the Saints will see whoever gets the starting nod next when they fly out to Charlotte in the regular season finale on Dec. 29.

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Broncos worked out 16 players last week

Tre’ Crawford was among 16 players who worked out for the Broncos last week.

The Broncos worked out 16 players last week and half of those players were defensive backs, perhaps a sign that Denver plans to add more depth in the secondary this offseason. Here’s the list of last week’s workouts, courtesy of The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala:

  1. DB Corrin Ballard
  2. DT Daryle Banfield 
  3. DE Tashawn Bower
  4. LB Tre’ Crawford 
  5. DB Davante Davis 
  6. DT Willie Henry 
  7. DB P.J. Locke 
  8. DB Tray Matthews
  9. DB Picasso Nelson 
  10. LB Gimel President 
  11. DE Wyatt Ray
  12. DB Tyree Robinson 
  13. DB Kahani Smith 
  14. LB Pita Taumoepenu 
  15. NT Jay-Tee Tiuli 
  16. DB Isaiah Wharton

Of note, the Broncos did not work out any punters last week. Colby Wadman has come under pressure in recent weeks and he didn’t help his case on Sunday when he had an awful 13-yard punt. He has averaged 43.8 yards per punt this season, which ranks 28th in the league.

Denver has been working out players as candidates for “futures contracts.” Players that are not on an active roster at the end of the season are eligible to sign future deals that will become official in March. Teams are allowed to have 90 players on the roster during the offseason.

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