Category: Roster moves

Former New Orleans Saints starter waived by Miami Dolphins

A former New Orleans Saints safety has been waived by the Miami Dolphins to make way for a player returning from injury

Former New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Maye has been waived by the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday after they got rookie DB Patrick McMorris back off of the injured reserve. Maye’s career trajectory has been on a pretty strong downturn ever since he signed a three-year deal with the Saints.

In 2022 he looked solid but not great for New Orleans and was a good veteran presence to have. However in 2023, he was suspended for three games due to his violation of the substance abuse policy, and was also placed on injured reserve further into the season which forced him to only play seven total games.

He was then released by the Saints a year before his contract ended, and he wound up signing with the Miami Dolphins where he has only started three games but played in 11 total. He was only given 43% of defensive snaps and 39% of special teams snaps with the Dolphins before this move, and the intent for Miami is to get him back on the practice squad if he clears waivers, as Tom Pelissero mentioned. We will see where he winds up, but ultimately not a good sign for the 31-year old veteran.

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Vikings place linebacker on IR, sign veteran replacement

The team announced that Ivan Pace Jr. suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday and is being placed on Injured Reserve.

The Minnesota Vikings defense has been relatively healthy in 2024. On Sunday against the Bears, however, it suffered its first major injury.

The team announced that Ivan Pace Jr. suffered a hamstring injury on Sunday and is being placed on Injured Reserve. He will miss the next four games for the team and in a corresponding move the team removed rookie edge rusher Gabriel Murphy from injured reserve.

While Murphy gives Brian Flores another edge piece, the team is signing a veteran linebacker to replace Pace Jr. on the roster. The team is signing Jamin Davis to the 53-man roster after playing five games for the Washington Commanders in 2024.

Davis has played in 50 career games for the Commanders and totaled 282 tackles and seven sacks in those games. Davis also boasts career PFF grades of 67.5 in run defense, 69.4 in tackling, and 56.9 in pass coverage assignments.

Davis and Murphy are expected to be available to play in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals.

Recently-cut Saints center already reunites with his old team

The Saints waived Erik McCoy’s replacement Connor McGovern when the starter returned from injury, but McGovern is already back with his old team:

Some New Orleans Saints fans questioned the decision to waive Connor McGovern, and this development makes those concerns look warranted. McGovern emerged as the best candidate to replace Erik McCoy at center when the Pro Bowler missed a month-plus with a groin injury — but when McCoy returned from injured reserve, the Saints let McGovern go. And the next day he returned to the New York Jets, who claimed him off of waivers.

Remember, the Saints cut second-year wide receiver A.T. Perry to make room for McGovern in the first place, having signed him off the Jets practice squad. Moving on from that proven veteran at this point felt a little premature, and that only looked worse when McCoy exited his first game back after aggravating that groin injury. Fortunately, he’s expected to be fine when players return from their time off during the bye week.

Still — unless this was a case of McGovern asking for his release, you have to wonder if he was the best option to let go. He’s been better in the middle than other players on the roster like Shane Lemieux or Landon Young. There are guys at other positions who aren’t contributing much on Sundays. But the Saints clearly felt this was their best path forward. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come back to haunt them.

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Saints sign a wide receiver back to their practice squad during bye week

The New Orleans Saints re-signed rookie wide receiver Jermaine Jackson back to their practice squad during the bye week:

That didn’t take long. The New Orleans Saints re-signed rookie wide receiver Jermaine Jackson back to their practice squad not long after waiving him last week, with another rookie going on injured reserve as a corresponding move — defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat, who suffered an elbow injury early in training camp and only recently returned to the team.

Jackson had been supplanted as the Saints’ returns specialist by another practice squad wideout, Dante Pettis, but they clearly want to keep him in the fold. Attrition with season-threatening injuries to players like Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, and Bub Means almost demands they keep that depth intact. But we’ll have to wait and see whether Jackson returns to the field this season.

As for Pettis? He came up a toe’s width shy of a punt returned for a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns last week, but still gained 53 yards on the play. Like Jackson he was an accomplished returns ace in college and interim head coach Darren Rizzi (who of course has a background as a special teams coordinator) wants him to get more opportunities to impact the game.

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Bucs activate veteran defensive back from practice squad for Week 12

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activate a veteran defensive back to the squad on Tuesday ahead of their matchup with the Giants in Week 12.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activate a veteran defensive back to the squad on Tuesday ahead of their matchup with the Giants in Week 12. The Bucs are activating veteran Troy Hill to bring some depth to the secondary.

Hill also brings a splash of playmaking as well.

Hill has appeared in 119 career games for the Cincinnati Bengals , Los Angeles Rams, Cleveland Browns, and Carolina Panthers. In the process f hoping between all these teams, he ended up making 60 starts and totaling 406 tackles, 41 passes defensed, nine interceptions.

Three of those nine interceptions were returned for touchdowns which speaks to the magic he can make magic happen, which the Bucs need a dose of.

Hill’s best season came in 2020 when he posted career highs in tackles (77), passes defensed (10) and interceptions (three), while leading the NFL in defensive touchdowns, with three.

He will be playing alongside Antoine Winfield Jr., and the recently signed Mike Edwards in the safety position.

Saints activate a Pro Bowler in their last-second Week 11 roster moves

The Saints’ last-second roster moves for Week 11 included the return of a Pro Bowler. Erik McCoy will start at center against the Browns:

The New Orleans Saints made a few roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns. Pro Bowl center Erik McCoy and linebacker Nephi Sewell have been activated from injured reserve and the physically unable to perform lists, while wide receiver Jermaine Jackson has been waived to make room.

The biggest move was McCoy returning to the lineup. McCoy emerged as arguably the second-most important offensive piece when he went out with injury. But Sewell had a key role to play defensively last year on passing downs until he went down with a serious knee injury. Now he’s making his debut and McCoy is returning to anchor the offensive line.

Waiving Jackson was an interesting choice. He was your return specialist since Rashid Shaheed went down with injury. He wasn’t a huge part of the passing game, and New Orleans opted to elevate Kevin Austin and Dante Pettis from the practice squad.

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Bucs bring back DB Mike Edwards after claiming him off waivers

After being placed on waivers by the Tennessee Titans, safety Mike Edwards is returning to Tampa Bay, where he previously played.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had some issues in the secondary this season. They have lacked playmaking outside of Antoine Winfield Jr., but now the veteran safety is getting some help alongside him.

After being placed on waivers by the Tennessee Titans, safety Mike Edwards is returning to Tampa Bay, where he previously played.

Edwards played for the Bucs from 2019 to 2022 after being drafted in the third round by the team. He appeared in 58 games and recorded 184 tackles, seven interceptions, and three defensive touchdowns. The playmaking didn’t stop there; he also had broken up 21 passes, was involved in four forced fumbles and fumble recoveries combined, two sacks, seven tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits.

He can make a difference with this team immediately as soon as he is available. The group could all lean on each other, especially rookie Tykee Smith, who already has shown playmaking ability in flashes.

Saints’ latest roster move may mean good news for injured Pro Bowler

The New Orleans Saints announced they had waived Connor McGovern, which could mean good news is on the way for Erik McCoy:

The New Orleans Saints announced Monday they had waived Connor McGovern, which could mean good news is on the way for Erik McCoy. McGovern has been the go-to option replacing McCoy at center, and on Sunday he snapped the ball for all 53 of the Saints’ offensive plays. If he clears waivers he should be a safe bet to return on the Saints practice squad.

And McGovern, if you’ll remember, was the offensive lineman the Saints waived wide receiver A.T. Perry to make room for. He wound up logging 369 snaps across six games, five of them starts, and entirely at center.

But back to McCoy. The former Pro Bowler has been out of action with a groin injury that required surgery earlier this season, and the Saints didn’t win a game without him until Sunday’s upset of the Atlanta Falcons. When Klint Kubiak installed his offense McCoy was tasked with adjusting protection before the snap, and the team struggled badly without him.

So this move likely means he’ll be back in the middle this Sunday against the  Cleveland Browns. That gives McCoy an opportunity to get his feet back under him and take advantage of the bye week for extra rest afterwards. He hasn’t been officially activated yet after returning to practice last week, but that does seem to be the way the wind is blowing.

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Saints add former Giants defensive end to their practice squad

The New Orleans Saints added another defensive end to their practice squad. Here’s what you need to know about Ryder Anderson:

The New Orleans Saints added another defensive end, announcing Thursday that Ryder Anderson had signed with their practice squad. Listed at 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds, Anderson played college football at Ole Miss and Indiana before turning pro in 2022; he had spent his NFL career to this point with the New York Giants.

He’s the second defensive end the team signed this week after releasing Niko Lalos, along with Trajan Jeffcoat, an undrafted rookie who tried out at Saints training camp earlier this year. They haven’t gotten enough production out of guys at the bottom of the rotation like Isaiah Foskey and even Cameron Jordan, so it makes sense to churn the depth chart and see if someone new can show something special.

And here’s an updated look at the Saints defensive ends group, ordered by snaps played:

  • Carl Granderson (453 in 9 games)
  • Chase Young (412 in 9 games)
  • Cameron  Jordan (248 in 9 games)
  • Payton Turner (147 in 8 games)
  • Isaiah Foskey (33 in 5 games)
  • Trajan Jeffcoat (PS)
  • Ryder Anderson (PS)
  • Tanoh Kpassagnon (PUP)

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Saints make a couple of roster moves amid blockbuster Marshon Lattimore trade

The Saints made a couple of roster moves amid their blockbuster Marshon Lattimore trade, including the return of a rookie who was injured at training camp:

After an eventful day with the New Orleans Saints shipping their Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore to the Washington Commanders, they made a couple of low-level transactions along the offensive and defensive lines.

The Saints re-signed guard Kyle Hergel to their practice squad while also releasing defensive end Niko Lalos and rookie defensive end Trajan Jeffcoat. Jeffcoat suffered a dislocated elbow at the start of Saints training camp so he’s back for another look.

The undrafted free agent Hergel has been active in five games this season, serving as a young depth piece along the interior offensive line. With an impressive training camp it isn’t surprising that the Saints want to continue to develop him if they can.

Lalos on the other hand, has been a guy the Saints have viewed highly of the last few seasons, as they’ve continued to add him back to the roster when  available. He has shown many flashes in the preseason over the years, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the team decided to bring him back at some point. Jeffcoat needs to practice hard and prove he’s a better option.

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