Tag: D.J. Montgomery

Colts sign WR D.J. Montgomery

The Colts added D.J. Montgomery to the wide receiver room.

The Indianapolis Colts signed free-agent WR D.J Montgomery, the team announced Friday.

An undrafted free-agent rookie in 2019, Montgomery initially signed with the Cleveland Browns but spent his rookie season on the injured reserve list. He joined the New York Jets practice squad in 2020 and played three games for them in 2021.

Montgomery also spent a little time with the Colts during training camp in 2022 and then joined the Houston Texans practice squad. He most recently played in the USFL for the Michigan Panthers.

The Colts had a roster spot open in the wide receiver room after Malik Tuner was waived/injured on Friday.

Giants workout a pair of wide receivers

The New York Giants worked out wide receivers Jontre Kirklin and D.J. Montgomery on Thursday.

With Jeff Smith (knee) and Parris Campbell (knee) each dealing with an injury, the New York Giants hosted a pair of wide receivers for workouts on Thursday.

Both Jontre Kirklin and D.J. Montgomery made their way to East Rutherford and for Kirklin, it was his second time. He had also worked out for the Giants last October.

The 6-foot, 184-pound Kirklin originally signed with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2022. He didn’t stick and despite some interest from other NFL teams, he ended up in the XFL during their 2023 season.

Kirklin was leading the Houston Roughnecks with 15 receptions for 253 yards and four touchdowns before suffering a chest injury on March 16 and sitting out the remainder of the year.

In addition to wide receiver, the multi-threat Kirklin can also play quarterback, running back and defensive back.

The 6-foot-1, 201-pound Montgomery was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent out of Austin Peay in 2019. He quickly became a journeyman, making stops with the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans before joining the USFL’s Michigan Panthers on June 1.

In three career NFL games (all with the Jets), Montgomery has recorded three receptions for 36 yards and two first downs.

Neither Kirklin or Montgomery were immediately signed to a contract.

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Texans sign QB Jeff Driskel to active roster as part of 4 roster moves

The Houston Texans have signed QB Jeff Driskel to the active roster as part of four total transactions on Wednesday.

The Houston Texans are giving Jeff Driskel a promotion.

The Texans signed the quarterback off the practice squad and added him to the active roster on Wednesday. The move comes after the former San Francisco 49ers 2016 sixth-round pick went 4-6 for 38 yards and a touchdown while carrying seven times for 36 yards in the 27-23 close loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14.

The Texans also signed wideout D.J. Montgomery to the practice squad. The former Cleveland Browns 2019 undrafted free agent has not been with an organization since the Indianapolis Colts cut him on Aug. 22, the second wave of preseason cuts.

Houston also placed receiver Jalen Camp on the practice squad/injured list.

The Texans put offensive lineman Jordan Steckler on the practice squad/designated to return list.

Titans hosted two wide receivers for workouts on Tuesday

The Titans worked out a pair of wide receivers on Tuesday.

The Tennessee Titans dipped their toes into the available wide receiver pool on Tuesday by working out a couple of young Mississippi natives in wideouts D.J. Montgomery and Ja’Marcus Bradley, per the league’s transactions wire.

Montgomery is a fourth-year wideout who spent extended time with the Cleveland Browns in 2019, and with the New York Jets from 2020-2021. He also had a brief stint with the Indianapolis Colts during the 2022 preseason before being cut prior to the regular season.

The Austin Peay product has played in a total of three NFL games, tallying 36 receiving yards on three receptions.

Bradley also spent time with the Browns from 2020-2021, but that’s been his only NFL stop as of right now. In total, the young pass-catcher caught nine passes for 124 yards (13.8 yards per catch) over his two seasons in Cleveland.

The former Louisiana-Lafayette star has also returned two kicks for a total of 49 yards.

After Treylon Burks’ recent injury, the chances of Tennessee adding another wide receiver somewhere down the line, either on the practice squad or the active roster, have increased. Josh Gordon is a potential candidate to get a promotion to the 53-man roster.

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Colts waive WR D.J. Montgomery, DT Caeveon Patton

The Colts waived two players Monday.

The Indianapolis Colts waived wide receiver D.J. Montgomery and defensive tackle Caeveon Patton, the team announced Monday.

As the roster must be trimmed down to 80 players before Tuesday’s deadline, the Colts still have two more cuts to make.

Montgomery was a late addition to the roster during training camp, but it was unlikely he was going to make the 53-man roster. Four spots are already locked in at that spot, and young wideouts Mike Strachan and Dezmon Patmon seem to have a strong chance to be the final two players in that room.

Patton was an undrafted rookie free agent out of Texas State who signed with the Colts during the offseason.

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Predicting the Colts’ first 5 roster cuts before Tuesday’s deadline

Here’s a prediction of the Colts’ first five roster cuts before Tuesday’s deadline.

The Indianapolis Colts must reduce their roster from 90 to 85 players before the end of the league day Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET, which means five players are getting the unfortunate call.

Sometimes a player will be released simply because they don’t fit in the plans for the Colts. Other times, it may be so that a player can get more reps with another team before the season arrives even if they are a solid player. That was likely the case with veteran offensive lineman Jason Spriggs.

The first five cuts may not be as difficult for the Colts because it’s likely coming down to a numbers game at deeper positions.

Here is a prediction of the Colts’ first five cuts following the preseason opener:

Colts sign WR D.J. Montgomery

The Colts signed WR D.J. Montgomery.

The Indianapolis Colts signed wide receiver D.J. Montgomery, the team announced Wednesday.

Montgomery was part of the eight-player tryout the Colts held on Monday during one of their off days and is likely a replacement for John Hurst, who was placed on the injured reserve list Tuesday.

Montgomery entered the league as an undrafted free agent rookie, signing with the Cleveland Browns following the 2019 NFL draft. He spent his rookie season on the injured reserve list and the 2020 season on the New York Jets’ practice squad.

In 2021, Montgomery appeared in three games, recording three receptions for 36 yards.

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Colts held tryout for 8 players

The Colts held a tryout for 8 players, including 4 WRs on Monday.

The Indianapolis Colts held a tryout for eight players Monday, according to the league’s transaction wire.

With two days off before getting back on the field Tuesday, the Colts used that time to see what was on the market at the wide receiver and offensive line positions.

Here are the eight players who worked out for the Colts on Monday:

  • WR Chris Blair
  • WR Johnnie Dixon
  • WR D.J. Montgomery
  • WR Taywan Taylor
  • T Darius Harper
  • G Alex Mollette
  • G Denzel Okafor
  • G Willie Wright

The Colts will continue to keep an eye on the free-agent market throughout camp in case something happens at these positions so keep an eye out for a potential transaction involving one or more of these players.

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Robert Saleh critical of Denzel Mims’ penalties, but WR will get another shot

Robert Saleh criticized Denzel Mims after two costly penalties against the Saints, but the Jets WR will get another opportunity.

Week 14 was Denzel Mims’ time to shine. With Corey Davis and Elijah Moore out due to injury, the second-year wide receiver was poised to step into the increased role that has eluded him all season.

Instead, Mims sabotaged his best opportunity yet to show the Jets he fits in their offensive plans for the future.

Mims was targeted just once in New York’s 30-9 loss to the Saints on Sunday. He finished without a reception. His only contributions were negative ones, as he almost single-handedly pushed the Jets out of field goal range at the end of the first half with two senseless penalties.

“I’ll speak for him and I’m sure he’ll echo it: He’s gotta be better,” Robert Saleh said after the game. “Just from a responsibility standpoint and just the penalties in the first half. It wasn’t his cleanest and I’m sure it’s something he’ll get better at.”

Mims was effectively benched after his string of mistakes, playing sparingly in the second half. D.J. Montgomery, who was elevated from the practice squad less than 24 hours before kickoff, took on the role Mims was supposed to play, catching three of six targets for 36 yards.

“He’ll get his opportunity next week,” Saleh said of Mims. “It’s not like anyone is coming back [from injury]. He’s very capable. Obviously, he’s missed a couple of weeks and he has to hit the ground running. He’s got to get himself going again with regards to the gameplan and the urgency and the discipline he had caught himself up to.”

Mims has had a difficult sophomore season for an assortment of reasons. His second offseason in the NFL was about as rough as it gets, as he missed an extended period of time and lost weight due to food poisoning. Mims did his best to work his way back from that, but he ultimately tumbled down the depth chart as he got up to speed on expanding his route tree in Mike LaFleur’s offense.

Mims seemed to be making progress with a combined eight targets in Weeks 8 and 9, but he landed on the COVID-19 list and missed nearly a month before returning against the Eagles in Week 13.

Time might be running out for Mims to prove himself to the Jets’ new regime — even if nobody is coming back anytime soon. He has just eight catches for 133 yards in seven games and Zach Wilson has developed chemistry with other wideouts. Mims has the talent to be a viable deep threat, but New York might not be the place for him with the way things have played out recently.

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Damion Willis officially added, D.J. Montgomery waived as Browns swap WRs

Willis passed through his COVID protocols and joined the team

The Browns waiver claim on WR Damion Willis is now official. Willis cleared his two days of COVID-19 protocols and joined the team for Saturday’s afternoon practice.

Willis was claimed off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals during the week. He’s now on the team’s 80-man active roster, with one week to go before the roster cutdown to just 53.

To make room for Willis, the Browns waived fellow WR D.J. Montgomery. The second-year undrafted wideout is now subject to waiver claims of his own.

Willis offers the Browns some size and a little experience in the slot. He started the first two games of the 2019 season as an undrafted rookie for the Bengals.