Tag: Ford

Oct 17, 2024; Watford, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor during press conference at The Grove. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Bears officially promote Press Taylor to offensive coordinator

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Chicago Bears officially promoted passing game coordinator Press Taylor to offensive coordinator in a series of staff announcements on Wednesday.

The Bears also added running backs coach Eric Studesville, offensive analyst Will Lawing and offensive quality control coach Isaiah Ford to head coach Ben Johnson’s staff.

Taylor, 38, takes over for Declan Doyle, who accepted the same job with the Baltimore Ravens. Johnson is expected to continue to call the offensive plays.

Taylor, younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, began his coaching career with the Philadelphia Eagles (2013-20) and Indianapolis Colts (2021) before becoming offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville Jaguars for three seasons (2022-24).

Studesville, 58, began his NFL coaching career with the Bears from 1997-2000. He spent the past nine seasons with the Miami Dolphins, the last four as associated head coach and running backs coach.

Lawing, 40, spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at Boston College. His NFL experience includes time with the Houston Texans (2014-20) and New England Patriots (2023).

Ford, 30, is making the move into coaching after catching 63 passes for 681 yards and two touchdowns in 32 games as a wide receiver with the Dolphins from 2018-21. Johnson was his position coach in Miami in 2018.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) is introduced before the game between the Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Browns GM: ‘Increasingly unlikely’ Nick Chubb returns to team

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry didn’t sound too optimistic about unsigned star running back Nick Chubb making an immediate return to the club.

The writing likely was on the wall when the Browns selected Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and Tennessee rusher Dylan Sampson in the fourth. They also recently renegotiated the contract of fellow running back Jerome Ford.

“I wouldn’t rule anything out, but I would say it’s probably increasingly unlikely,” Berry told 92.3 The Fan on Friday morning. “I’d say maybe a return is less likely, at least in the short term, with us right now.”

Berry added that “we haven’t necessarily been in strong communication after the draft.”

Chubb, 29, has played in only 10 games over the past two seasons due to knee and foot injuries. He rushed for 332 yards and three scores in eight starts in 2024.

A four-time Pro Bowl selection and four-time 1,000-yard rusher, Chubb ranks third in franchise history with 6,843 rushing yards behind Pro Football Hall of Fame members Jim Brown and Leroy Kelly.

Judkins led the national champion Buckeyes with 1,060 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns last season.

Sampson, the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year last year, set school single-season records for rushing yards (1,491) and touchdowns (22).

Ford, 25, rushed for 565 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games (six starts) last season, adding 37 catches for 225 yards.

He has 1,390 rushing yards, 544 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns in 44 games (18 starts) since the Browns picked him in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

–Field Level Media

Oct 1, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford (34) runs with the ball during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Browns LT Jedrick Wills Jr., RB Jerome Ford back at practice

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Cleveland Browns left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., running back Jerome Ford and wide receiver Marquise Goodwin returned to practice Friday.

Wills (foot), Ford (ankle) and Goodwin (back) all missed practices Wednesday and Thursday as the Browns (4-2) prepare to visit the Seattle Seahawks (4-2) on Sunday.

Wills, 24, has started all six games this season. He has made 51 starts since the Browns drafted him 10th overall in 2020.

Ford, 23, has started three of his six games in 2023, rushing for 344 yards and two TDs and catching 14 passes for 104 yards and two scores. He was Cleveland’s fifth-round pick in 2022.

Goodwin, 32, has three catches on nine targets for 10 yards and has rushed three times for 38 yards in six games. He has 190 receptions for 3,033 yards and 18 touchdowns in 108 games (44 starts) with five teams since 2013.

–Field Level Media

Sep 12, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt (27) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Browns coach: RB Kareem Hunt will play Sunday

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Newly re-signed running back Kareem Hunt will see action Sunday for the Cleveland Browns against the Tennessee Titans.

“Kareem’s going to play. He’s ready to play,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said Friday.

How much he plays remains to be determined as the Browns adjust to the loss of four-time 1,000-yard rusher Nick Chubb to a season-ending knee injury.

Hunt, 28, signed a reported one-year deal worth up to $4 million on Wednesday to rejoin Cleveland, where he played the previous four seasons.

Hunt has rushed for 4,025 yards and 31 touchdowns and caught 211 passes for 1,806 yards and 17 TDs in 76 games (36 starts) with the Kansas City Chiefs (2017-18) and Browns.

Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards as a Chiefs rookie in 2017, earning a Pro Bowl selection and Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. Kansas City drafted the Ohio native in the third round out of Toledo.

While Hunt’s role is unclear, Stefanski said multiple times this week that Jerome Ford will be the featured back for the Browns (1-1) on Sunday against the visiting Titans (1-1).

–Field Level Media

Aug 27, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts Rodrigo Blankenship (3) stretches on the field before the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals sign K Rodrigo Blankenship to practice squad

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Arizona Cardinals added former Indianapolis Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship to their practice squad Tuesday.

The team also opened the practice window for guard Cody Ford, who is on injured reserve with an ankle injury, signed linebacker Blake Lynch to the practice squad and released wideout Stanley Berryhill from the same unit.

Blankenship provides insurance if Matt Prater (hip) is unable to go Thursday night when the Cardinals (2-4) host the New Orleans Saints (2-4).

The Colts released Blankenship after missing a 42-yard field goal in overtime in a season-opening 20-20 tie with the Houston Texans. He also sent two kickoffs out of bounds in that game.

Blankenship, 25, missed most of the 2021 season with an injury. He made 45 of 54 field-goal attempts (with a long of 53 yards) and 52 of 55 extra points in 22 games with the Colts from 2020-22.

Ford, 25, began the season on IR. He played in 38 games (29 starts) from 2019-21 with the Buffalo Bills, who traded him to the Cardinals on Aug. 22 for a 2023 fifth-round draft pick.

–Field Level Media

Jul 28, 2021; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Dee Ford (55) runs during training camp at the SAP Performance Facility. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

49ers part ways with veteran DE Dee Ford

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The San Francisco 49ers released veteran defensive end Dee Ford on Wednesday.

General manager John Lynch had hinted Tuesday at such a move when he told reporters “you guys will see a transaction, and we’ll leave it at that.”

Ford, 31, played in just 18 games due to injuries during three seasons since San Francisco acquired him from the Kansas City Chiefs.

He signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the 49ers at the time.

Ford had 9.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss during his stint with the 49ers.

Ford was a Pro Bowl selection with the Chiefs in 2018 when he recorded a career-best 13 sacks and tied for the NFL lead with seven forced fumbles.

Overall, he has 40 sacks, 12 forced fumbles and 159 tackles in 85 games (43 starts) over eight NFL seasons, including five with Kansas City.

–Field Level Media

Sep 22, 2018; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Pitt Panthers receiver Maurice Ffrench (2) runs the ball as North Carolina Tar Heels safety D.J. Ford defends during the second half at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels won 38-35. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Trio of DBs opt out at North Carolina

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Three North Carolina defensive backs will sit out the 2020 football season amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

The school confirmed Friday to The News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., that D.J. Ford, Bryce Watts and Javon Terry will skip the season, leaving the Tar Heels lacking depth at the position.

Their move follows that of redshirt freshman offensive lineman Triston Miller, who on Thursday opted out for “personal reasons,” per the newspaper.

Ford, a senior, appeared in all 13 games and made seven starts at defensive back in 2019. He recorded 54 tackles, one sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, three hurries, two breakups, one fumble recovery and one interception. He was expected to contend for a starting role at safety.

Terry, a sophomore, saw limited action in all 13 games, making four tackles, including one for loss, and adding a sack.

Watts, a junior, has yet to play for the Tar Heels. He transferred from Virginia Tech and sat out the 2019 season under NCAA transfer rules.

In the preseason Amway Coaches Poll, released Thursday, North Carolina was ranked No. 19.

The Tar Heels are scheduled to host Syracuse on Sept. 12 to open the season.

–Field Level Media