Robert

Hughes

Both players tried out for the team during voluntary workouts this week. Hughes may get a look in preseason action, but he’s a long shot to make the final roster. Undrafted out of Greg Schiano’s Rutgers program in 2008, Girault has spent time with the Chiefs and Jets.

The five are street free agents, trying out alongside the Bucs players already on the roster. Undrafted out of Notre Dame, Hughes had 69 yards on 16 carries in the Bears’ preseason finale last season.

Green was needed because Vontae Davis is expected to miss some time with a knee injury. Davis has already been ruled out for Week 9. Hughes takes the vacant spot in the Indianapolis backfield created by the release of Mewelde Moore. Hughes will be limited to special teams duty.

We suspected a high-ankle sprain after Brown was ruled out so quickly last week. The transaction is welcome news for the workload of Vick Ballard, who faces Houston’s stout run defense in two of the next three weeks. The oft-injured Brown has missed multiple games in three of his four seasons with the Colts. While he’s likely to be back with the team at a reasonable $1.705 million salary next season, Brown has fallen behind Ballard in the eyes of the organization. His Dynasty value is in the tank.

An undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in 2011, Hughes appeared in five games for the Colts last season, notching one carry. He’ll try to latch on elsewhere as a camp body.

WR Griff Whalen was waived in a corresponding roster move. Hughes provides insurance for lead blocker Stanley Havili, who’s dealing with an ankle injury.

All eight players finished 2013 on Arizona’s practice squad. Hughes is a fullback/tailback tweener out of Notre Dame. Rowe was a productive pass rusher at Oregon and could be a serious contender for a 2014 roster spot.

Andre Ellington and rookie David Johnson both excel in space. Meanwhile, Hughes is short on talent but long on size and toughness at 5'11/235. He’s hung around the fringe of NFL rosters for five years as a RB/FB tweener. Ultimately, we expect Johnson to get the first crack at goal-line work even if it doesn’t fit his skill set.

Hughes is an interesting cut by the Cardinals because he was constantly talked up as being “locked in” as the short-yardage back. Far from a special talent, Hughes averaged just 1.9 YPC on 13 totes this preseason after chugging along to 11 yards on seven carries last season. Andre Ellington, rookie David Johnson, and Chris Johnson will handle backfield duties for the Cardinals.

Coach Bruce Arians said he wanted to see what the RB/FB tweener could do as an inside runner, and he has apparently been impressed. The issue for Hughes as a fantasy asset is the Cardinals only scored six rushing touchdowns as a team last season with last year’s short-yardage back Stepfan Taylor only managing one. He is not worth a pick in standard leagues.