Tag: chapelle russell

Jags get LB Chapelle Russell back after he signs ERFA contract

Russell returns after playing in 16 games for the Jags last season and offers a familiar face to new DC Mike Caldwell.

While the Jacksonville Jaguars did lose Myles Jack, they’ve done a good job retaining the depth they had at linebacker and even added a starter in Foyesade Oluokun this offseason. Earlier this week, we mentioned that the Jags were able to re-sign exclusive rights free agent Jamir Jones, but he wasn’t the only player within the group retained. The Jags were also able to retain another exclusive rights free agent linebacker in Chapelle Russell, too.

Russell, 25, will be joining the team after spending all of last season with them. He was initially picked up by the Tampa Bay Bucs out of Temple in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft but was later waived in January of 2021.

Russell will be returning to a situation where there is a familiar face at the defensive coordinator role. That familiar face is Mike Caldwell, who was a part of the Bucs staff as a linebackers coach when Russell was drafted by them. Caldwell will be replacing last year’s defensive coordinator, Joe Cullen, as head coach Doug Pederson brought him in to be a key part of his staff.

Russell played in 16 games for the Jags last season. He was able to garner 18 total tackles in the process. He’ll now enter the offseason as a depth piece with familiarity with Caldwell’s tendencies, which should help him make the roster again if he has a good preseason.

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Jags tender 3 exclusive-right free agents

In addition to releasing Carlos Hyde, the Jags tendered three of their exclusive-right free agents.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made multiple transactions Friday in addition to releasing running back Carlos Hyde. Those transactions included tendering three exclusive-right free agents in linebacker and defensive end Jamir Jones, linebacker Chapelle Russell, and running back Mekhi Sargent.

Of the three, Russell is the player who saw the most playing time for the Jags. Hew participated in all 16 of their games last season and registered one start for the team as well. Along the way, he was able to garner 18 total tackles, with 10 of them being solo tackles.

Jones and Sargent were late-season additions to the team, and both were claimed off waivers on Dec. 27. That date took place after James Robinson’s Achilles injury and the team had to put 10 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, so the Jags needed both for depth.

In Sargent’s case, the Jags seem interested in seeing if he could stick around after becoming a little more familiar with the team. With the departure of Hyde and Dare Ogunbowale now a pending free agent, the Jags need to find a No. 3 and No. 4 running back, which could potentially be Sargent, although he only registered a carry with Jacksonville.

As for Jones, he played in two games for the Jags and registered two tackles. He initially entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2021 with the Houston Texans. He participated in 15 games last season, but most of that time on the field came with the Los Angeles Rams (10 games) and Pittsburgh Steelers (three games).

Jaguars claim former Bucs linebacker Chapelle Russell off waivers

The seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft will hope for more opportunities in Jacksonville after he was released by Tampa last month.

With the 2020 NFL Season concluding last weekend, all waiver claims made during the postseason were processed on Monday. This means that former Tampa Bay Bucs linebacker Chapelle Russell, who Jacksonville claimed on Jan. 11, is now officially a member of the roster.

Russell, a seventh-round pick by the Buccaneers last year, was released on Jan. 8 ahead of the team’s Wild Card matchup with the Washington Football Team to clear space for linebacker Deone Bucannon.

The Bucs initially released Russell during final roster cuts last offseason but signed him to the practice squad. They promoted him to the 53-man roster on Oct. 13.

The former Temple player appeared in 11 games as a rookie but didn’t record a stat with most of his time coming on special teams. Jacksonville will hope Russell can develop into a defensive depth player, an area the team was sorely lacking in last season.

Get to know Bucs rookie LB Chapelle Russell

Watch Bucs rookie linebacker Chapelle Russell talk about the struggles he’s overcome in life to get to where he is today.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up several key players in the 2020 NFL draft, highlighted by their selection of offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs in round one and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. in round two.

One move that may not have garnered initial attention or excitement was the selection of Temple linebacker Chapelle Russell in the seventh round. Russell will be joining an already crowded linebacker room, so will have his work cut out for him to make the roster.

But Russell has overcome plenty of struggles in life to get where he is today, so having the odds stacked against him should be no worry at all to the talented young rookie.

Hear Russell talk about his life journey to get where he is today.

It seems Russell’s fellow Bucs teammate, Sean Murphy-Bunting, loves the rookie and what he brings to the table.

It’ll be great to finally see Russell in action on the field when training camp kicks off.

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Buccaneers wrap up draft by going defense and offense in Round 7

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went defense and offense in round seven to wrap up their 2020 NFL draft.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came out winners in free agency, and now it seems like they got quite the haul of talent in the NFL draft.

The Bucs kicked things off on Thursday night by moving up a spot to take Iowa OT Tristan Wirfs. In round two, they went defense with Antoine Winfield Jr. of Minnesota. To wrap things up in the seventh round, the Bucs used their last two picks on both defense and offense, taking OLB Chapelle Russell (No. 241) out of Temple and Louisiana RB Raymond Calais (No. 245).

The Bucs addressed their most pressing needs in rounds one and two, fixing their O-line and strengthening their secondary. They added a running back in round three — Vanderbilt’s Ke’Shawn Vaughn — but Calais might be good to have as an insurance policy behind Ronald Jones and Vaughn. Calais had 886 rushing yards and six touchdowns last season.

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