Tag: Artavis Pierce

Broncos trying out 7 players at voluntary minicamp

Among the players trying out for the Broncos this week: CB Bless Austin, who has started 17 games in three seasons.

The Denver Broncos kicked off their voluntary minicamp on Monday with new jersey numbers — and some new faces.

The Broncos invited seven players to camp this week on a tryout basis, according to Ryan O’Halloran of The Denver Post. Here’s a quick glance at the players:

  • WR Keelan Doss (6-3, 215 pounds) entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of UC Davis in 2019. He’s spent time with four different teams and has 11 career receptions for 133 yards.
  • WR Juwan Green (6-0, 187 pounds) went undrafted out of Albany in 2020 and he’s spent time with two teams since then but is yet to appear in a regular season game.
  • WR Trey Quinn (6-0, 200 pounds) entered the league as a seventh-round pick out of SMU in 2018. Spending time with three teams, he’s caught 35 passes for 273 yards and two touchdowns in the NFL.
  • TE Caleb Wilson (6-4, 240 pounds) is a former seventh-round pick out of UCLA who’s been with four different teams, but he’s yet to catch a pass in a regular season game.
  • RB Artavis Pierce (5-11, 208 pounds) went undrafted out of Oregon State in 2020 before stints with two different teams. He’s rushed for 34 yards and one touchdown in the NFL.
  • CB Bless Austin (6-1, 198 pounds) is a former sixth-round pick out of Rutgers who played for the New York Jets and then with Seattle Seahawks, totaling 98 tackles and eight pass breakups in three seasons.
  • CB Donnie Lewis (6-0, 190 pounds) was a seventh-round pick out of Tulane in 2019. He’s spent time with two different teams since then but is yet to appear in a regular season game.

The Broncos can carry 90 players on their roster in the offseason and they have 23 open spots going into this week’s draft.

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Bears flex RB Artavis Pierce, OL Dieter Eiselen to active roster for Week 6

The Bears have flexed RB Artavis Pierce and OL Dieter Eiselen from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s game vs. Packers.

The Chicago Bears have elevated running back Artavis Pierce and offensive lineman Dieter Eiselen to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

Teams are permitted to flex two practice squad players to the active roster prior to 3 p.m. CT the day before a game, bringing the game-day roster total to 55 players.

With David Montgomery on injured reserve and Damien Williams on the reserve/COVID-19 list, it’s not a surprise to see Pierce elevated to the active roster. That gives Chicago rookie Khalil Herbert, who will get a bulk of reps, Ryan Nall and Pierce for their running backs against Green Bay.

With right tackle Germain Ifedi on injured reserve with a knee injury, it’ll be Elijah Wilkinson getting the nod in his absence. Eiselen provides added depth on the offensive line.

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Bears protect four practice squad players for Week 5

The Bears have protected four practice squad players ahead of Sunday’s game against the Raiders, including RBs Ryan Nall and Artavis Pierce.

The practice squad has become even more important for NFL teams with injuries and COVID-19 designations. Teams are allowed to designate up to four practice-squad players every week that are protected from being signed away from other teams.

The Chicago Bears have protected four players on their practice squad this week ahead of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders — running backs Ryan Nall and Artavis Pierce, as well as defensive lineman Margus Hunt and kicker Brian Johnson.

With David Montgomery sidelined 4-5 weeks with a knee sprain, the Bears need all the help they can get at running back. Damien Williams and Khalil Herbert will be the main guys filling in for Montgomery, but it’s not a surprise to see Nall and Pierce, who re-signed to the practice squad Tuesday, protected. One of them figures to be promoted to the active roster in place of Montgomery, who will likely be placed on short-term injured reserve.

Hunt’s protection could be an indication that Akiem Hicks’ groin injury, which he sustained on the first play of last week’s win against the Lions, might be a concern this week. We’ll see how things unveil during practice this week.

Protecting Johnson is a smart move should anything happen to Cairo Santos, who now owns the longest active streak of consecutive made field goals with 32.

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Bears announce trade for WR Jakeem Grant, waive WR Nsimba Webster

The Bears officially announced the trade for WR Jakeem Grant and waived WR Nsimba Webster.

The Chicago Bears officially announced the acquisition of wide receiver Jakeem Grant from the Miami Dolphins on Tuesday afternoon. Grant was traded to the Bears from Miami for an undisclosed draft pick and still needs to pass a physical.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero first reported the deal earlier in the day, which he noted was for a 2023 sixth-round pick.

To make room for Grant, the Bears waived wide receiver and return specialist Nsimba Webster, who had served as the team’s primary punt returner through four weeks of the season.

A 2016 sixth-round pick out of Texas Tech, Grant joins the Bears after spending six seasons with the Dolphins and figures to become a key component in the return game. Grant spent most of his Dolphins career as the primary kick and punt returner. He has 2 kickoff return touchdowns and 3 punt return touchdowns and holds multiple franchise records. In 2020, Grant was named second-team All-Pro at punt returner.

Grant replaces Webster as the Bears punt returner after being signed just prior to the start of the 2021 regular season. Webster returned four punts, averaging just 3.3 yards per return in four games this season before being waived.

In addition to those moves, the Bears also announced they re-signed running back Artavis Pierce to the practice squad and waived linebacker Rashad Smith.

Bears re-signing RB Artavis Pierce to practice squad

With David Montgomery sidelined for 4-5 weeks with a knee sprain, the Bears are re-signing Artavis Pierce to the practice squad.

With running back David Montgomery sidelined for 4-5 weeks with a knee sprain, the Chicago Bears have been making some roster moves to accommodate his loss.

The Bears are bringing back running back Artavis Pierce to the practice squad, according to The Athletic‘s Kevin Fishbain. Pierce was a free agent and figures to rejoin given the opportunity for playing time.

That gives the Bears two running backs on the practice squad in Pierce and Ryan Nall, one of whom figures to be elevated to the active roster assuming Montgomery is placed on short-term injured reserve at some point within the next couple of days.

With Montgomery sidelined, it’ll be Damien Williams and rookie Khalil Herbert getting the reps at running back, and they’re certainly solid depth. It’s not ideal to lose Montgomery, the team’s best offensive player, but it helps to have depth.

Chicago also traded for wide receiver Jakeem Grant, sending a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Dolphins in exchange. Grant figures to assume a big role on special teams, especially given Herbert’s role figures to serve mostly offense as Williams’ backup with Montgomery sidelined.

These Bears players have the most to prove in preseason finale vs. Titans

Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts on which players have the most to prove in preseason finale.

This is our weekly staff discussion, where Bears Wire writers share their opinions about a variety of topics involving the Bears. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

The Chicago Bears will wrap up the preseason Saturday against the Tennessee Titans, where rookie quarterback Justin Fields will get his first NFL start — in preseason, that is.

While Fields doesn’t have to worry about earning a roster spot, there are a handful of players on the roster bubble who have plenty to prove heading into the preseason finale.

Ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Titans, our Bears Wire staff is sharing their thoughts on which players has the most to prove in the preseason finale.

10 Bears players to watch during Saturday’s preseason game vs. the Bills

As the Bears prepare for their second preseason game, here are the players we’ll be keeping an eye on against the Bills.

Week two of the preseason is officially underway and the Chicago Bears are once again welcoming an AFC East opponent to Soldier Field. Last week, it was the Miami Dolphins and Saturday it will be the Buffalo Bills.

The headline story here is easily the return of former Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, who is now the backup in Buffalo behind Pro Bowl passer Josh Allen. Trubisky will get the start, however, and should see plenty of reps against his former team as the Bears continue to get rookie quarterback Justin Fields acclimated to the NFL. But aside from that quarterback angle, who else should we be paying attention to when the game kicks off at noon on Saturday?

Here are 10 players on the Bears that I’m keeping my eye on in their second preseason game.

Bears roster bubble: Which players helped their cause in Week 1

Following the Bears’ preseason debut, here’s a look at which roster-bubble players helped their cause with a strong outing.

The Chicago Bears opened up the preseason with a 20-13 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Saturday, which featured the debut of rookie quarterback Justin Fields. While Fields is guaranteed to make the 53-man roster, there are plenty of players who are competing to make the cut.

With the first roster cuts set for Tuesday — where GM Ryan Pace will have to trim the roster from 90 to 85 — there were a handful of players who helped their chances of competing for a spot on the 53-man roster with strong preseason outings against the Dolphins.

Following Chicago’s preseason opener, here’s a look at which roster-bubble players helped their cause in Week 1.

Bears training camp: 1 player currently on the roster bubble at each position

Heading into the Bears’ first preseason game, here’s a look at one player who’s on the roster bubble at each position.

The Chicago Bears released their first unofficial depth chart ahead of Saturday’s preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins, where there were some surprises, and it gave us a look at how the 53-man roster could ultimately shake out.

There are a handful of players who are on the roster bubble, as indicated by the depth chart and how training camp has unfolded over the first couple of weeks.

Heading into the Bears’ first preseason game, here’s a look at one player who’s on the roster bubble at each position.

4 things to know about Bears news RB coach Michael Pitre

The Bears are hiring Michael Pitre to serve as running backs coach. Let’s get to know Chicago’s newest coach.

The Chicago Bears have been busy this offseason filling some coaching vacancies on offense and defense, but Matt Nagy has finally filled out his staff.

The Bears have found their running backs coach in Michael Pitre, who takes over for the departed Charles London. London left Chicago to join Arthur Smith’s staff in Atlanta, where he’ll serve in the same role.

Let’s take a look at four things to know about Chicago’s new running backs coach.