Tag: Workout

Former Chiefs LB Anthony Hitchens working out for Saints

The #Saints have taken a liking to former #Chiefs defenders this offseason and are working out another one on Thursday per report.

The New Orleans Saints added a pair of former Kansas City Chiefs defenders this offseason, could a third be in the works?

The Saints signed both Tyrann Mathieu and Daniel Sorensen to reinforce their safety position this offseason. Now, they’re working out a player who started 59 games for the Chiefs over the past for seasons. According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Anthony Hitchens is in New Orleans working out for the Saints.

Hitchens, 30, was the Chiefs’ first cost-cutting move of the 2022 NFL offseason. The veteran linebacker was released after spending four seasons with the team, mostly as the team’s starting MIKE linebacker. He was entering the final year of a five-year, $45 million deal signed back in 2018. The contract made him expendable, especially alongside the emergence of Nick Bolton in 2021.

Hitchens finished his career in Kansas City as a Super Bowl LIV champion, with 381 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and four passes defended. He took a visit with the Chicago Bears earlier this offseason, but the market for his services has been pretty quiet.

Now, he’ll have a chance to rejoin some former teammates in New Orleans should his workout with the team go well. He’ll have some competition as they’re also working out veteran LBs Kiko Alonso and Jon Bostic.

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Packers host tryout for former Jets QB James Morgan

The Packers hosted Ashwaebenon native and former Jets draft pick James Morgan for a tryout on Wednesday.

The Green Bay Packers had Ashwaubenon native and former New York Jets quarterback James Morgan in town for a workout on Wednesday, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network.

It’s clear general manager Brian Gutekunst wants to stay updated on the available quarterback market. As it stands to open training camp, Danny Etling is the team’s No. 3 quarterback.

The Jets drafted Morgan out of FIU in the fourth round of the 2020 draft.

Morgan (6-4, 229) has spent time on the practice squad of the Jets, Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts. He was most recently released in late May.

Morgan set the school record at FIU for touchdown passes in a season (26) in 2018.

Morgan, a long-time fan of the Packers, was in Green Bay last year for joint practices as a member of the Jets. He wore No. 12 at FIU to honor Aaron Rodgers and No. 4 with the Jets to honor Brett Favre.

Morgan is the second quarterback with Wisconsin ties to work out for the Packers this week, joining Menomonie’s Nate Stanley, a former draft pick of the Minnesota Vikings.

The Packers also hosted wide receiver Ishmael Hyman for a tryout. He went undrafted out of James Madison in 2018. After brief stints with the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, Hyman (6-0, 196) played for the Michigan Panthers of the USFL.

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Packers work out 7 players, including 6 on offense

The Packers reported workouts for seven players on Monday, including three wide receivers and QB Nate Stanley, a Menomonie, WI native.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst exited early from Monday’s shareholder’s meeting to go try out a player. In the afternoon, it was announced the team was signing safety Dallin Leavitt. The Packers are now officially up to 90 players heading into training camp, but Gutekunst is still keeping an eye on outside talent. According to the league’s transaction wire, Green Bay worked out seven other players, and all but six on offense, including three receivers (two from the USFL) and a quarterback with Wisconsin ties. 

Here is a quick look at all seven players: 

Russell Wilson shares workout video from California home

Russell Wilson’s back from his trip to Europe and ready for training camp. Bring on football!

After a busy trip to Europe, Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson is now back stateside at his San Diego home.

Wilson took to social media on Tuesday to share footage of one of his recent workouts that featured cart-pushing, agility, and — of course — a lot of passing. Between Twitter (460,000) and Instagram (542,000), the workout video has drawn more than one million views on social media.

Wilson’s caption for the post:

“I’m used to the doubt.
I’m used the work too…”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf76WtTFUMv/

Wilson has a beautiful eight-acre Rancho Sante Fe home that used to be an equestrian estate. The property featured a horse arena that Wilson transformed into a football/soccer field — that’s where the workout took place.

Wilson also used that field to host teammates for unofficial practices in the spring, and he plans to host them again in the coming days for pre-training camp throwing sessions. Wilson and his teammates are set to report to Denver for the start of camp on July 26.

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Russell Wilson getting in early-morning work with Broncos teammates

“You have to set the tone every day,” Broncos QB Russell Wilson said. “Winning is a lifestyle.”

Hours before the Denver Broncos hit the field for team-organized practices during  OTAs, quarterback Russell Wilson is already at the facility getting in early-morning work on his own time.

Wilson and multiple teammates report to UCHealth Training Center early each day to study the playbook and exercise before the official work begins.

“Everybody is doing such an amazing job of studying, and everybody is on their stuff,” Wilson said on May 23. “Everybody is committed. There are guys that come in super early to work with me in the mornings. We all kind of do our thing as players and spend a lot of time. I think it has to be a player-owned thing, and that’s what we’re doing.”

Wilson specifically mentioned wide receivers Jerry Jeudy, Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Montrell Washington plus tight ends Greg Dulcich, Eric Saubert and Andrew Beck among the players who enter the building early with him each morning.

That dedication is a reflection of the mentality that Wilson has. It wouldn’t be fair to suggest Wilson is the sole reason players are reporting early — many would do that regardless — but the quarterback’s drive has undoubtedly set a good example in the building.

“You have to set the tone every day,” Wilson said. “There is no other option. If you want to win, and if you want to win it all and be the best in the world as a team and everything else, there is no other option. That’s what we have to do. It’s a wild obsession every day. … [It’s] the ability to get extra work before practice and after practice and get extra work in the weight room and take care of your mind and your body and your soul. It’s a lifestyle.

“Winning is a lifestyle. It’s bigger than just the ability to compete. It’s also the ability to understand the habits of winning. Those habits have to occur. There is no other option. That’s what winners do, and that’s what a winning football team does. That’s what we’re trying to do, and that’s what we’re trying to do in the midst of it all.”

The Broncos will face a tough challenge in the AFC West this season and their schedule overall won’t be easy, but the work players are putting in now will pay off on game days this fall.

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Broncos QB Russell Wilson posts workout video on Instagram

Russell Wilson’s been working 😤

https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cbx4T59Fl5E/

Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson took to Instagram last week to share a 50-second video featuring his offseason workouts at his California home.

It’s clear that Wilson is a very motivated, dedicated quarterback. The veteran has already hosted teammates multiple times at his California home for unofficial practices (Denver’s official offseason program will begin later this month).

Wilson made it clear during his introductory press conference last month that he plans to lead by example with the Broncos.

“I think you build trust by work ethic and communication,” Wilson said on March 16. “I think communication is everything, but I think work ethic is the best way to communicate. How you show up in the building, how you work in practice, how you demand excellence every day. I always talk about engaging in the huddle. Every time I call a play, I want the offense to believe this play could go to the house. Every single time. Every time.

“So I think that starts in practice. It starts with one-on-ones. It starts with running routes on here. Getting to throw in California or if I’m here, whatever it is in the offseason. We’re already planning everything and everything else. That’s where that trust comes. I think work ethic is always going to be the number one thing. You can’t mistake the work. I always say success leaves clues. I think that’s a key part to it.”

The Broncos will begin official practices at the team’s UCHealth Training Center later this spring followed by training camp in late July. Preseason games will begin in August followed by the regular season in September. Wilson and Co. will be ready to go.

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Here’s Russell Wilson working out days before trade to Broncos

Yeah, we’re pretty excited about Russell Wilson. We could watch this video all day.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/Caxh5l9lQI-/?utm_medium=copy_link

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson took to Twitter on Wednesday to share his appreciation for fans in Seattle ahead of a move to the Denver Broncos.

Before that tweet, one of Wilson’s most recent posts on social media was an Instagram video showing one of his recent workouts. In the 20-second clip, Wilson is shown passing, practicing his footwork and running cone drills in a beautiful setting surrounded by palm trees.

Judging from Wilson’s other posts at this mini football/soccer field, it appears to be the quarterback’s own backyard. That’s quite a setup!

Wilson’s trade to the Broncos won’t become official until next week when the NFL’s new league year begins (March 16). Denver has agreed to trade three players and five draft picks to Seattle in exchange for the 33-year-old quarterback.

Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XLVIII champion, has already arrived in Colorado and passed his physical.

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Is this the year Terron Armstead’s 40-yard dash record falls?

Is this the year Terron Armstead’s 40-yard dash record falls? How to watch offensive line drills at the NFL combine:

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This year’s crop of blockers made a strong impression during Thursday’s media availability session, and now the rookie class can go through their paces in the on-field workouts. Offensive linemen are running the 40-yard dash, broad and vertical jumps, and agility drills on Friday. You can keep up with the coverage from the NFL scouting combine on NFL Network from 3 to 10 p.m. CT.

And this just might be the year that Terron Armstead’s legendary 40-yard dash record gets knocked down a peg. The longtime New Orleans Saints left tackle put himself on the map back in 2013, when he weighed in at 306 pounds and then breezed through 40 yards in a laser-timed 4.71 seconds. It’s a historic achievement in athleticism that hasn’t been repeated since. For context, most linemen are thrilled just to clock the distance in under five seconds.

That doesn’t mean it’ll hold up forever. There are some other incredible athletes in this year’s draft, especially at offensive tackle, ranging from Alabama’s Evan Neal to North Carolina State’s Ikem Ekwonu and Mississippi State’s Charles Cross. Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning could also make some noise.

But that’s just the group of tackles projected to go in the first round — let’s remember that Armstead himself was just a third round pick coming out of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and it took an all-time great combine performance for him to get there. Maybe someone else quite literally breaks away from the pack on Friday. We’ll be watching closely to see.

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Jameis Winston debuts a baffling new exercise for Saints’ bye week workout

Jameis Winston debuts a baffling new exercise for Saints’ bye week workout

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Props to Jameis Winston for not taking any days off during the New Orleans Saints bye week, but there might not be any exercise out there he could do without looking goofy. His latest video, shared online by his trainers at ModernDay Fitness, shows the Saints quarterback laying on a balance board and pressing a set of dumbbells for reps.

It’s a modified bench press using an unstable platform and an alternate grip to train different muscle groups, which all makes sense for a pro athlete chasing different goals than your typical lifter. Winston is just cursed with wacky body language that makes even the most normal workouts look silly.

His pregame warmups have become viral sensations, ranging from whipping towels around his head to juggling tennis balls. So have his offseason workouts in the gym and on the practice field. Winston is a funny guy, often unintentionally, and that tends to bleed over into his casual mannerisms.

But this isn’t a hit piece on Winston — it really is good to see him committed to keeping his body right during the most important season of his NFL career. You just can’t help but laugh at the unserious, all too memeable Eli Manning-like persona he’s developed. Winston is a bit of a goober, and that’s okay. It hasn’t kept him from playing better football than he ever did in Tampa Bay. Whatever we may think of his workouts, it’s tough to argue you the results.

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Saints try out multiple free agent linebackers, offensive linemen

The Saints tried out multiple free agent linebackers and offensive linemen on Monday:

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So this is interesting. With an extra day of preparation ahead of them before next Monday’s kickoff with the Seahawks, the New Orleans Saints stepped out of their bye week and invited seven free agents for a group tryout. The group is split on pretty clean lines between three linebackers and four offensive linemen. None of them have been signed just yet.

So what’s the deal? We know that linebacker Kwon Alexander is close to returning from injured reserve after hurting his elbow back in Week 1, and the team will need to open a roster spot to make room for him. There are other players who could be on the move at different positions like wide receiver and defensive back but there’s help coming there, too, so the Saints may have to keep their focus limited at linebacker.

Of the linebackers currently healthy and under contract, Demario Davis and Pete Werner dominate defensive snaps while Kaden Elliss gets in on certain packages. Zack Baun waits in reserve and Andrew Dowell really only plays special teams (a role in which he’s excelled, by the way). Baun won’t be exposed to waivers after being drafted highly last year, making Dowell the unfortunate odd man out. If he ends up being claimed by another team, the Saints probably want to know their options in replacing him on the practice squad, which explains these workouts.

As for the bevy of offensive line tryouts: there’s no clear and obvious reason for the interest. The Saints are expected to get starting center Erik McCoy and All-Pro left tackle Terron Armstead back soon to reassemble their starting five. Their backups (James Hurst and Landon Young at tackle, Will Clapp and Calvin Throckmorton at guard) haven’t embarrassed themselves when asked to start. But great teams are always keeping an interest in churning the bottom of the depth chart, and it makes sense to look for better options than Jordan Mills and Caleb Benenoch on the practice squad.

Here’s a quick look at the seven free agent tryouts from Monday: