Tag: DJ James

Patriots announce veteran OL roster signing, among multiple moves

Patriots officially sign veteran OL to the main roster

The New England Patriots made a series of moves on a short week Monday, ahead of their Thursday Night Football showdown against the New York Jets.

They announced they had signed veteran offensive guard Michael Jordan to the 53-man roster, along with the practice squad signings of rookie cornerback DJ James and safety Mark Perry.

To make room for the newest practice squad additions, the team released safety AJ Thomas and linebacker Yvandy Rigby.

Jordan signing to the main roster comes on the heels of the Patriots putting veteran offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor on the exempt/left squad list. He had been a weekly practice squad elevation with the team battling injuries at the guard position.

Second-year guard Sidy Sow is still dealing with an ankle injury, and Cole Strange is recovering from a knee injury.

The Patriots have brought in multiple players in an attempt to build better depth at the guard position, and so far, Jordan, the former fourth-round draft pick for the Cincinnati Bengals, has been their best option.

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Rookie CB DJ James is Seahawks scouting failure

Rookie CB DJ James is Seahawks scouting failure

The Seattle Seahawks waived and released approximately two dozen players during Tuesday’s roster cut-down process. One of the minor surprises included rookie cornerback DJ James, who was waived and passed through the waiver wire process. A bigger surprise arrived when the Seahawks declined opportunities to add James to their practice squad, seemingly admitting defeat on a player they drafted four months ago.

General manager John Schneider drafted James with the No. 193 overall selection in April’s 2024 NFL Draft. It wasn’t necessarily surprising that James didn’t make the roster. He joined a deep cornerback room that features Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Tre Brown, and his former Auburn teammate Nehemiah Pritchett, who was drafted one round earlier.

The real shocking development was that James wasn’t re-added to the practice squad. The Seahawks announced a 15-player practice squad, leaving one spot open (16 maximum) for another addition. Veteran corner Artie Burns is the only cornerback on the practice squad. Other defensive backs include safeties Marquise Blair and Ty Okada.

Perhaps that final practice squad addition will be another cornerback, but early indications are it won’t be James. That seemingly indicates the Seahawks didn’t see enough developmental potential to continue investing in James. It sounds harsh, but it means they did not assess his abilities to be NFL-caliber throughout training camp.

James definitely struggled throughout the preseason. Pro Football Focus tagged the former Auburn product with eight receptions on nine targets for 84 yards and two touchdowns. His coverage grade was a generous 60.8 considering opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 145.1 when targeting him.

Sixth-round selections flame out of the league all the time. What makes this particular case unique is how quickly the Seahawks are calling quits on James, a prospect they drafted ahead of 65 selected players in the 2024 draft. That indicates the scouting staff failed when it came to assessing James’ abilities.

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Seahawks to waive rookie cornerback DJ James

Seahawks to waive rookie cornerback DJ James

Today is the deadline to trim rosters down to the final 53 players. The Seattle Seahawks have already released cornerback Willie Roberts, which was done yesterday. Now, they are moving on from another corner.

According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, the Seahawks are planning to waive DJ James, who was Seattle’s sixth round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. James was drafted along with his fellow Auburn teammate Nehemiah Pritchett. Henderson does note that James is a candidate to return to the Seahawks, albeit as a member of the practice squad.

As I mentioned yesterday with Roberts, the competition at corner was always going to be a fight due to how deep the Seahawks are at this position. It is arguably the strength of their defense. When Seattle drafted Pritchett and James, I took it as a message the team was sending to their corners that jobs were going to have to be earned this year.

So far, they seem to have taken the message, as Riq Woolen and Tre Brown were among the standouts at training camp.

We at Seahawks Wire will keep you informed of all the roster moves that are bound to happen today.

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How Mike Jackson trade impacts Seahawks’ CB room

How Mike Jackson trade impacts Seahawks’ CB room

The Seattle Seahawks turned a position of weakness into a strength on Thursday when they acquired rookie linebacker Michael Barrett from the Carolina Panthers. General manager John Schneider sent cornerback Mike Jackson the other way. Jackson’s departure from a deep corner room will offer more opportunity for young rookies like D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett.

Jackson, a 2019 fifth-rounder, lost his place this offseason in a deep defensive backfield. Jackson started opposite Riq Woolen during the 2022 season. He was a league-average cornerback, allowing a respectable 62% completion percentage on targets thrown his way, according to Pro Football Focus.

Jackson was replaced in the starting lineup prior to the 2023 season by Tre Brown. Brown ran with his opportunity, and more changes came to the defense this offseason when head coach Mike Macdonald replaced Pete Carroll. Macdonald brought his brilliant defensive system with him, and Schneider drafted James and Pritchett to better appease the scheme.

Jackson has settled in as a depth cornerback. The Seahawks understandably rather utilize those depth spots on developmental rookies with more long-term upside. They also undrafted free agent Carlton Johnson on the roster. Johnson has impressed in spurts and is attempting to make the 53 man roster. His chances improved following Jackson’s trade.

Pritchett has spent the preseason playing almost exclusively on the boundary. James has been slightly more versatile, splitting reps outside and inside. Jackson’s departure all but guarantees that both Pritchett and James will appear on Seattle’s initial 53 man roster next week.

The Seahawks needed better linebacker depth given that projected starter Jerome Baker has been sidelined with injury for multiple weeks. With Jon Rhattigan and Patrick O’Connell offering little-to-no long-term upside, the arrival of Barrett offers the Seahawks a potential future solution. Having Barrett and Tyrice Knight as rookies in the linebacker room will be beneficial.

Trading Jackson in exchange for better linebacker depth was a worthwhile move.

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Asante, Hunter headline Auburn’s Senior Bowl watchlist representation

Auburn football is well represented on this season’s watchlist.

The coveted Senior Bowl watchlist has been released, and Auburn is well represented.

A total of 14 players on Auburn’s roster made the cut, with linebacker [autotag]Eugene Asante[/autotag] and running back [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] headlining the representation.

Asante broke onto the scene last season by recording a team-leading 86 tackles with 8.5 going for a loss. He also tipped a pass and returned a fumble 67 yards for a touchdown in Auburn’s loss to Texas A&M. As for Hunter, he came close to reaching the 1,000-yard mark in rushing for the first time in his career last season. He ran for 909 yards and scored seven touchdowns while reeling in 18 passes for 118 yards.

Joining Hunter as offensive players to make the list are QB [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], WRs [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], and offensive linemen [autotag]Percy Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Dillon Wade[/autotag].

Thorne is projected to take a step forward this season thanks to the additions of Lambert-Smith and Lewis, who were stars at Penn State and Georgia State respectively. Fairweather will be a great threat in the passing game as he returns after hauling in 38 catches for 394 yards and six scores last season. Finally, Lewis joins an experienced offensive line after spending the previous two seasons at Mississippi State. Wade’s 819 snaps were the most among Auburn offensive players last season. In that frame, he allowed just two quarterback sacks.

Six defensive players were also labeled. Outside of Asante, DLs [autotag]Jayson Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen McLeod[/autotag], LB [autotag]Austin Keys[/autotag], and defensive backs [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Jerrin Thompson[/autotag] are also considered for a roster spot.

McLeod holds the highest grade among returning defenders from PFF with an 80.8, which was third-highest behind [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] and [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag], who has since departed for the NFL. Scott had a great season by leading all defensive backs in tackles with 42 with five pass deflections in 2023. He will team up with Thompson, who hauled in three interceptions at Texas last season, to provide experience to the Tigers’ defensive backfield. In two seasons at Auburn, Jones has complied 48 tackles with one registering as a loss.

The final representative on the Senior Bowl watchlist for Auburn is punter [autotag]Oscar Chapman[/autotag]. Chapman recorded 61 punts last season for a career-high average of 44.6 yards.

The 2025 Senior Bowl will take place on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. The game will begin at 1:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcasted live on NFL Network.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

First look at DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett in Seahawks uniforms

First look at DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett in Seahawks uniforms

During the 2024 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected a pair of cornerbacks. Certainly not unusual for a team that values its secondary, but they did something that is not always common: they drafted a pair of teammates.

TSeattle selected cornerbacks Nehemiah Pritchett (round 5, No. 136) and DJ James (round 6, No. 192) during this pasat spring. These two will go from being Tigers to Seahawks. Now, we have officially gotten our first look at the two of them wearing the navy and neon.

It is only fitting these two have such close matching jersey numbers as well. Pritchett will wear No. 28, last worn by Kyu Blu Kelly and Kelvin Joseph in 2023. As for James, he will be No. 29, which was worn by SaRodrick Thompson.

Of course, when it comes to No. 29, the first name that should always come to mind is former Seahawks great Earl Thomas, who rocked this jersey from 2010-2018.

By drafting these two, the Seahawks are sending a message to their cornerback room: everyone’s job is up for grabs. Clearly, Mike Macdonald and John Schneider saw a pressing need to draft support or potential replacements from what they have currently. Here’s hoping these two Tigers can help bolster what many considered to be one of Seattle’s strengths.

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Auburn cornerback suffers torn ACL, will miss 2024 season

A tough injury has hit the Auburn defensive backfield, a unit that is looking to rebuild.

Auburn football’s defensive backfield will need to be reconstructed this season, and the project took a giant hit Monday as it was announced that a young cornerback will miss the season.

Justin Hokanson of Auburn Live reports that [autotag]Tyler Scott[/autotag], a redshirt freshman from Austell, Georgia, will miss the entirety of the 2024 season after sustaining a torn ACL. Scott signed with Auburn as part of its 2023 signing class, and will still have four seasons of eligibility remaining beginning in 2025.

Scott appeared in four games last season for Auburn, most recently playing in Auburn’s Music City Bowl loss to Maryland. He ended his season with two solo tackles, one against Maryland and Ole Miss. According to Pro Football Focus, Scott participated in nine total snaps in 2023.

After losing [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] and [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] to the NFL draft, Auburn need new players to step up at the position. [autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] bring the most experience to the room this season, and Alabama transfer Antonio Kite will aim to break into the rotation.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Seattle Seahawks’ best draft sleeper pick: Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn

The Seahawks made a fifth-round bet on Auburn cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett, and it could pay off in a big way.

The Seahawks and new defensive-minded head coach Mike Macdonald must have liked their time watching Auburn’s 2023 defense, because they took two cornerbacks from that program — Nehemiah Pritchett with the 136th overall pick in the fifth round, and DJ James with the 192nd pick in the sixth round. While James projects as an inside/outside cornerback, the 6′ 0⅛”, 190-pound Pritchett, who ran a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine, played just 13% of his snaps in the slot last season. He’s an outside speed cornerback in an old-school Seattle sense. Certainly in the overall mentality.

“I think I’m really intense when it comes to hitting. I’m not going to shy away from contact. You can turn on the film and you can see I’m super-aggressive. Most of the time, I just try to come up with a body part at corner.”

As far as we know, Pritchett’s opponents kept all their body parts last season, but they didn’t have a lot of production. Pritchett allowed 12 catches on 26 targets for 134 yards, 25 yards after the catch, one touchdown, one interception, three pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 58.8. Over five seasons with the Tigers, Pritchett allowed an opponent passer rating of 69.2. 

Mike Macdonald says Seahawks expecting ‘big things’ from Riq Woolen

Mike Macdonald says Seahawks expecting ‘big things’ from Riq Woolen

If there is a strength to this Seattle Seahawks defense, it is their secondary. Led by the No. 5 overall pick last year, cornerback Devon Witherspoon, the Seahawks have depth at this position.

One such asset, at least on paper, is third year pro Riq Woolen. Originally a fifth round selection, Woolen exploded onto the scene his rookie year as another lengthy, speedy cornerback. However, a tumultuous sophomore season (which saw him get benched) and the Seahawks picking two corners in this year’s draft has many wondering just how safe Woolen’s job is.

If early practices are any indication to Woolen’s status with the team, it seems concerns for him are unwarranted. At least right now. Head coach Mike Macdonald was nothing but positive when talking about Woolen. According to John Boyle at the team website:

“I think Tariq’s in a great spot… We had a great conversation today, and I’m expecting big things from him. just like everyone else on the defense and on the rest of the team, we’re going to be pushing him, because there’s greatness in there.”

Still, it is early, and drafting a pair of corners from Auburn in the draft cannot be overlooked. This will be one of, if not perhaps the biggest storylines for the Seahawks this summer. Are DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett more in line for what Macdonald wants in his defense? Or are they depth picks to help push Woolen to the greatness his head coach believes he has?

One thing is for certain: any starting jobs in this secondary will most assuredly be earned by merit, not by name recognition.

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Former San Jose State CB schedules official visit to Auburn

Following the departures of DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett to the NFL, Auburn looks to bring in experience to the cornerback position.

Following the departures of [autotag]DJ James[/autotag] and [autotag]Nehemiah Pritchett[/autotag] to the NFL, Auburn looks to bring in experience to the cornerback position.

[autotag]Keionte Scott[/autotag] is the most experienced returner at the position, but who will join him on the other side? Auburn will look to find the answer within the transfer portal by bringing former San Jose State cornerback [autotag]Jayvion Cole[/autotag] in for a visit. The former Spartan will be on campus Monday, May 6 according to Jeffrey Lee of Auburn Live. Auburn will be Cole’s second stop. He will visit the Plains after taking in a stop at Texas this weekend.

Cole was active in his first season at San Jose State in 2023. In 13 games, he made 38 stops with three going to a loss. He also hauled in three interceptions with 13 pass deflections. According to Pro Football Focus, he was San Jose State’s highest-graded defensive player last season with an 86.2. He graded higher than 82 in run defense, pass rush, and coverage. Receivers caught 49% of passes (26-of-53) when guarded by Cole, and he allowed just one touchdown in 697 snaps.

Auburn has eight cornerbacks on its roster, with Keionte Scott and [autotag]Kayin Lee[/autotag] providing the most experience. The Tigers added [autotag]Antonio Kite[/autotag] from the transfer portal, but he played just 25 snaps at Alabama in two seasons. Adding experience to the defensive backfield will be important this offseason as the unit becomes depleted. Cole would be a valued addition to the program due to his ability to disrupt the opponent’s passing game in several ways.