Tag: Bradley Roby

Eagles sign CB Bradley Roby to practice squad, release LB Kyron Johnson

The Philadelphia #Eagles officially announced the signing of CB Bradley Roby to practice squad after the team released LB Kyron Johnson

The Eagles are making practice squad moves on Tuesday, releasing linebacker Kyron Johnson, and signing Bradly Roby according to Zach Berman.

Roby will stay on the practice squad until he learns the scheme and gets into game shape, and then he’ll replace Avonte Maddox in the slot.

Former Saints CB Bradley Roby visits 49ers

Former New Orleans Saints cornerback Bradley Roby visited the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, per the daily NFL transactions wire:

Former New Orleans Saints cornerback Bradley Roby visited the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, per the daily NFL transactions wire. Roby was a surprise release by the Saints at the league’s roster cuts deadline in August, but there hasn’t been much buzz surrounding him.

The 49ers are going to be without second-year backup Samuel Womack III for a few months while he recovers on injured reserve, so adding Roby would make a lot of sense. They’re a Super Bowl contending roster and he’s a veteran in this league with a ton of experience. San Francisco is a great opportunity for him if he can help settle their depth chart in the secondary.

As for the Saints: second-year corner Alontae Taylor had an up-and-down debut in the slot last week, which he’ll seek to build on while learning on the job. He did give up a lot of catches (7 on 9 targets) but he compensated for it with several big tackles in the open field. The Saints are betting his arrow will continue to trend upwards after taking Roby’s job.

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Bleacher Report: Saints may regret cutting cornerback Bradley Roby

Bleacher Report says the New Orleans Saints may regret cutting veteran cornerback Bradley Roby:

Few teams made as many surprising moves at the NFL roster cuts deadline as the New Orleans Saints this week, with the black and gold trading Pro Bowl kicker Wil Lutz to the Denver Broncos (for a reunion with his old coach Sean Payton) while releasing third-year punter Blake Gillikin (who is already getting tryouts with other teams as a free agent).

But Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport writes that veteran cornerback Bradley Roby, not either of those specialists, is the roster cut that could come back to haunt the Saints:

“In Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor, the Saints have a quality trio of cornerbacks. Roby’s release was as much about his cap hit as his performance—he made 10 starts last season for the Saints and allowed a passer rating against of less than 80.

Roby may be the wrong side of 30, but he’s still a quality player with a Super Bowl win on his professional resume who will generate interest on the open market.

The problem for the Saints is that while Taylor showed promise as a rookie, he’s still an unproven commodity at the NFL level. Cornerback is one of the positions where NFL teams can never have too much depth.

All it will take is one injury for Saints head coach Dennis Allen to wish that Roby was still in the Big Easy.”

Roby may have been worth keeping around even if he wasn’t starting. The Saints didn’t really need the $3.3 million in salary cap savings (they were already under the cap by more than $11 million), even if that’s a lot to pay a backup. But as Davenport absorbed, depth suddenly looks like a vulnerability at cornerback.

Lattimore (who missed 10 games last year with injuries) is anchoring one side of the field. Paulson Adebo (who missed 4 games last season with his own injury) is manning the other sideline, with Alontae Taylor (also down 4 games in his rookie year) picking up a new position in the slot. It’s worth acknowledging that Roby had to sit out 4 games with an injury, too, but now instead of having him come off the bench the Saints are left with veteran backup Isaac Yiadom and undrafted rookie Anthony Johnson as their reserves.

The good news is that Ugo Amadi is backing up Taylor in the slot, so if there is an injury at another position the Saints can move some guys around and get a veteran on the field who they have some confidence in; Amadi’s summer was as impressive as anyone in New Orleans. But they’re another injury away from thrusting someone into a starting role who isn’t ready for it. That’s closer to the reality for most NFL teams than the position of strength they enjoyed last season. Hopefully injuries aren’t a problem on the back end so this won’t be an issue.

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The ceiling is high for second-year Saints CB Alontae Taylor in the slot

Alontae Taylor is focusing strictly on being a slot corner. It may take time to reach it, but his dedication and athletic profile creates a high ceiling at the position | @southexclusives

Bradley Roby was the most surprising cut when the New Orleans Saints trimmed their roster down to 53 players this week, but it wasn’t a move the team made without reason. The move meant Alontae Taylor was moving into the slot. This is a move many thought he could make when picked in the 2022 NFL draft. He spent the offseason splitting time between the slot and battling with Paulson Adebo for starting outside at cornerback, where he played very well as a rookie.

That’s the biggest reason the ceiling is still high for Taylor. His athleticism lends itself to being able to play in the slot and now he can focus on it. The preseason was a bit shaky for him, but it’s important to note he was learning a new position. He was never able to fully dedicate himself to it. Now that playing outside is off the table, Taylor’s development on the inside can be more rapid.

Tyrann Mathieu was once one of the best slot corners in the NFL. He’s now a safety for the Saints and a valuable resource for Taylor. Taylor said he’s leaning on Mathieu to help learn the position. Entering in second season in the league, he provides the willingness to tackle that is reminiscent of past players at the position. Taylor has the potential to combine the aggression in the run game and coverage skill in a way we’ve never seen in the slot in New Orleans.

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5 biggest Saints roster moves from the NFL cuts deadline

There were some surprising moves from Tuesday roster cut deadline. Here are the five biggest moves and what they mean for the Saints | @southexclusives

The NFL’s roster cuts deadline has passed, and the initial 53-man roster has been set. The New Orleans Saints are currently in the process of picking up players for the practice squad and some for the active roster. There were some shocking moves. Leave it to the roster cut deadline to create surprise. We take a look back at some of those surprising moves and the most impactful decisions. These are the five biggest decisions from the roster cut deadline ranked one to five.

Players recently cut that could interest the Detroit Lions

Here are some recently cut players that stand out as guys Lions GM Brad Holmes could go after.

Roster cutdowns can be an opportunity to build up a roster. Players who didn’t make one team, for whatever reason, might wind up being a good fit for another. For the Detroit Lions and GM Brad Holmes, it’s an opportunity to potentially churn the bottom of the roster even after the initial 53-man unit has been established.

Waiver claims right after the roster cutdown aren’t terribly common. but they do happen. This is how the Lions added Romeo Okwara to the roster back in 2017. There is now an opportunity for another player or two to join Okwara as a roster cutdown waiver claim who can become a long-term Lion.

The Lions are 18th in the waiver wire order by virtue of their 9-8 finish in 2022; the waiver wire order is based on the final result of the prior season at this point. Remember: players claimed on waivers go directly to the 53-man active roster, which means someone who initially made the Lions would have to be removed from the active roster — be it a cut or a move to the injured reserve.

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While I don’t expect the Lions to be very active on the waiver claim front, there are a few players who got cut by other teams that could fit roles in Detroit. Here are some that stand out as players GM Brad Holmes could go after.

5 cornerbacks the Vikings can sign after initial cuts

With only five cornerbacks on the roster, @TheKevinFielder looks at who the Vikings could target

As the Minnesota Vikings began to cut their roster to 53 players, a gaping hole was left at the cornerback position.

As the clock struck 3 P.M. central time, the Vikings only had five cornerbacks on their roster: Byron Murphy Jr., Mekhi Blackmon, Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth Jr., and NaJee Thompson.

Considering that Thompson has only played a handful of snaps at cornerback in college, the Vikings only have four out-and-out cornerbacks. While the Vikings could run into next season with that group, the injury history of Booth should bring concern to that front.

As a result, the Vikings are likely window-shopping the waiver wire and free agency to find another reliable option for the room. Here are x options that could help fill the position out for the start of the season.

Bradley Roby shares choice words after being released by New Orleans Saints

Bradley Roby shared choice words after being released by New Orleans Saints: ‘Cutting costs at all cost might just cost you in the end’

The New Orleans Saints’ decision to release veteran cornerback Bradley Roby surprised everyone — including Bradley Roby. He had been penciled in as the starting slot corner in their defense all summer, resting with other starters in preseason games and preparing for a big role in New Orleans’ nickel defense.

But then he was released ahead of the NFL roster cuts deadline on Tuesday, clearing about $3.3 million in salary cap space (with the Saints already under the cap by more than $11.4 million). Roby acknowledged the move on social media, warning that “Cutting costs at all cost might just cost you in the end.”

While Roby was at least implicitly critical of the front office’s decision, he expressed nothing but gratitude to his teammates in the locker room and the Saints fans who have cheered their team on every year he’s been in town:

Where will Roby land? He can still run with most receivers around the league so his services shouldn’t be in low demand once the dust settles on this year’s roster cuts. It’s possible he returns to play for Sean Payton on the Denver Broncos (ironically, where he started his NFL career), who have experienced some instability in the secondary this summer. He could also land with a playoff team elsewhere around the league. But he isn’t finished just yet.

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Saints release CB Bradley Roby, a projected starter in the slot

Here’s a surprise roster cut: the Saints released cornerback Bradley Roby, a projected starter in the slot

This is a bit of a surprise. It was previously reported that the New Orleans Saints were fielding trade offers for veteran cornerback Bradley Roby, who was projected to start in the slot — but the team is releasing him outright, as reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Roby played just 22 snaps in the preseason while taking a lot of time off with the rest of the starting lineup, so the reverse course at the last minute like this is strange. He had to have had some trade value. Releasing him does allow him to choose his next team but both sides may have been better off finding a way to compromise and keep him in New Orleans.

Oh well. The decision to let him go for nothing is painful for a Saints team that’s short on draft capital. At least they’ll save some salary cap space — Roby was set to carry a salary cap hit north of $4 million, and releasing him now saves the team more than $3.3 million. But they were already in the clear by about $11.4 million, so that’s not going to really change things for them one way or another.

Another factor in moving on from Roby: his departure opens a starting role in the slot for Alontae Taylor. The second-year cornerback was very impressive as a rookie but he has struggled mightily in transitioning to a role guarding the slot. If the Saints are determined to get their former second-round draft pick on the field at all costs, adopting a sink-or-swim mentality, at least they have a competent veteran backup to lean on on Ugo Amadi.

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Report: Other teams expressing trade interest in Saints CB Bradley Roby

Report: Other teams expressing trade interest in Saints cornerback Bradley Roby, but ‘the price would have to be right’

This was something we thought might happen: TheScore’s Jordan Schultz reports that other teams are calling the New Orleans Saints seeking a trade for veteran cornerback Bradley Roby, who has been pushed into a role guarding the slot after the emergence of young talents like Paulson Adebo and Alontae Taylor opposite Marshon Lattimore.

Roby was one of a few Saints players we singled out as potential trade targets. It’s early in negotiations and no deal has been agreed to just yet, but it’s possible he’ll get moved. As Schultz added, the price would need to be right. The Saints have a clear vision for Roby on their team and his familiarity with the coaching staff is a big point in his favor.

Why would the Saints trade Roby? They’ve been actively seeking ways to get Taylor on the field with Adebo looking like a better option to start out wide over the summer, and one path forward could be moving Taylor into the slot with Adebo staying outside. Roby’s backup Ugo Amadi was impressive in preseason and could be a better candidate to start in his place, though; Taylor’s inexperience guarding the slot showed in some low moments throughout their preseason games.

What about the price? Remember, the Saints first acquired Roby in exchange for a package of third- and sixth-round draft picks back in 2021. His trade value has diminished a little since then, but not by much. If a team were to offer a fourth rounder or better (or maybe offer a swap of players), the Saints could see this as a way to add assets, get younger in the secondary, and open a door for Taylor to get on the field while Adebo starts outside. It’s something to monitor.

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