Raiders sign ex-Giants WR/KR Dwayne Harris
Jets claim TE Walford off waivers
WASHINGTON, April 3, (Agencies): The Oakland Raiders signed free agent wide receiver/return specialist Dwayne Harris, the team announced Monday.
The deal is for one year, according to NFL Network. Financial terms were not reported.
The signing reunites Harris with special teams coach Rich Bisaccia, who coached Harris for two seasons in Dallas.
Harris, 30, was taken by the Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2011 draft. He played four seasons with the Cowboys before joining the New York Giants, where he played the past three seasons.
Harris worked exclusively as a returner for the Giants last season, appearing in five games before going on injured reserve with a foot injury. He was named a Pro Bowler in 2016 as a special-teamer.
Harris’ best year as a receiver was in 2015 with the Giants when he had 36 catches for 396 yards and four touchdowns. His best season as a kick returner was with the Cowboys in 2013 when he had 857 yards and averaged 30.6 yards per kickoff return, second best in the NFL, in 13 games.
The Arizona Cardinals have signed free agent wide receiver Brice Butler to a two-year contract.
Monday’s move addresses one of the team’s biggest needs, depth at the receiver position, following the departure of John Brown and Jaron Brown to free agency.
Butler, entering his sixth NFL season, played the last three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys and totaled 43 catches for 794 yards and six touchdowns. He was selected by Oakland in the seventh round out of San Diego State in the 2013 draft and played his first two seasons with the Raiders.
Overall, the 28-year-old receiver has appeared in 61 games, with 73 catches for 1,177 yards and eight touchdowns.
The New York Jets announced Monday that they claimed tight end Clive Walford off waivers.
Walford was released by the Oakland Raiders on Friday.
Walford spent three season with the Raiders and had 70 receptions for 768 yards and six touchdowns in 44 games (10 starts).
Walford’s best campaign was in 2016 when he started eight games and had 33 catches for 359 yards. Last year, he had nine catches for 80 yards in 13 games.
The 26-year-old Walford was a third-round pick in 2015 after a standout college career at Miami.
The Cincinnati Bengals may be without controversial linebacker Vontaze Burfict to begin the season, but don’t expect his absence to be long term.
Burfict is reportedly facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substance policy late last season. But according to The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Paul Dehner Jr., the team doesn’t have any plans to move him, despite rumors which surfaced after news of the suspension broke.
“The whole trade discussion we don’t get into unless there is something to actually report,” Bengals vice-president Troy Blackburn said at the league meetings last week. “And I think unfortunately some people in different parts of the league put some stories out and we are just not going to get into that. Our focus is on having the best 2018 we can and we feel Vontaze helps us do that.”