Tag: easop winston jr

5 most important Seattle Seahawks practice squad signings

5 most important Seattle Seahawks practice squad signings

The Seattle Seahawks officially announced a 15-man practice squad on Wednesday afternoon. No, general manager John Schneider didn’t retain every talent via the practice squad that he probably wanted to. The Carolina Panthers claimed ex Seahawks linebacker Jon Rhattigan and EDGE Jamie Sheriff on waivers, potentially altering Schneider’s plans.

Schneider and the Seahawks still put together an intriguing practice squad. Mixing veterans with developmental rookies, Seattle’s backup squad has a healthy balance of players that could immediately help and ones that could turn into long-term contributors. With that in mind, we’ve identified the five most important practice squad signings.

George Holani, RB

Many believed the Seahawks would retain four running backs on the active roster, but Schneider stuck with just three. Sophomore back Kenny McIntosh won the RB3 job, and the Seahawks choose to pass undrafted rookie George Holani through waivers. Thankfully, Holani cleared, and has been placed on the practice squad after rushing for 65 yards and two touchdowns during the preseason.

Artie Burns, CB

Veteran cornerback Artie Burns wasn’t subject to the waiver wire process because he’s a vested veteran. Burns could have signed with any team of his choosing after being released, but he opted to re-join the Seahawks via the practice squad. Retaining the experienced cover-man, who occasionally worked with the first-team defense in training camp as the nickel corner, was a big victory for Schneider.

Michael Barrett, LB

The Seahawks acquired rookie linebacker Michael Barrett in a trade with the Carolina Panthers in exchange for cornerback Mike Jackson. Seattle still waived Barrett, but managed to get him back on the practice squad. He’ll spend the season developing under coaches he’s familiar with from his time at Michigan, including special teams coordinator Jay Harbaugh.

McClendon Curtis, IOL

Sophomore blocker McClendon Curtis spent the majority of last season on the 53-man roster. This offseason, he proved versatile enough to work at both offensive tackle and his more prominent guard positions. If the Seahawks suffer an injury across the offensive line, Curtis will be ready to join the game-day roster.

Easop Winston Jr., WR

Eason Winston Jr. was Seattle’s most productive wide receiver throughout the preseason. He posted team-highs in receptions (8), receiving yards (99), and touchdowns (1). The Seahawks were deep at wideout, so Winston Jr. had to settle for a developmental spot on the practice squad.

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Has WR Easop Winston Jr. done enough to make Seahawks roster?

Has WR Easop Winston Jr. done enough to make Seahawks roster?

Seattle Seahawks fifth-year wide receiver Easop Winston Jr. has written one of the team’s more heartwarming stories of training camp. The former undrafted free agent out of Washington State initially joined the Seahawks in 2022 as a member of the practice squad. He’s stuck around ever since.

Winston has consistently made plays throughout camp and the preseason. In Saturday’s Week 2 preseason defeat to the Tennessee Titans, he opened the scoring with a lovely over-the-shoulder 23 yard touchdown grab. Winston led all Seahawks in receptions (3) and receiving yards (47).

Winston is also tied for the Seahawks’ preseason lead in receptions with five, and leads all Seattle pass catchers in receiving yards with 78. He was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded Seahawks player in the Titans game with an elite score of 90.2.

The Seahawks are deep at the wideout position. Together, D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba form one of the best receiving trios around the league. Sophomore UDFA Jake Bobo is having an excellent offseason in his own right and has solidified himself as the WR4. Veteran Laviska Shenault is an outstanding special teams player and projects as the fifth receiver on the roster.

Seahawks general manager John Schneider is tasked with trimming his 90-man roster down to 53 by next Tuesday’s mid-afternoon deadline. How many running backs, offensive linemen, and tight ends the Seahawks retain will determine if they can keep a sixth receiver. Winston isn’t guaranteed to remain on the active roster.

Winston has undeniably put his best foot forward. He’s been a regular standout in camp practices and the preseason. The veteran wideout has performed admirably enough to make most 53-man rosters, but Seattle’s may be too deep. If Schneider can’t justify retaining six receivers, he’ll likely attempt to sign Easton to the practice squad.

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Former Saints WR Kawaan Baker signs with the Packers after serving 6-game suspension

Former Saints WR Kawaan Baker signed with the Packers practice squad after serving his 6-game suspension:

A couple of former New Orleans Saints wide receivers found new teams this week. Kawaan Baker finished serving his 6-game suspension for an offseason PEDs policy violation and ended up signing with the Green Bay Packers practice squad following a group tryout.

Baker, 24, was selected by the Saints in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft out of South Alabama but struggled to find snaps in the rotation despite a wave of injuries hitting the position in each of his two years in black and gold. Now he’s wearing No. 82 in Green Bay.

If there’s anything positive to take away here, it may be that the Saints feel optimistic about Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry getting off of the injury report soon. With Chris Olave back in the lineup, Baker would have been hard-pressed to get into games ahead of Marquez Callaway, Tre’Quan Smith, Keith Kirkwood, Rashid Shaheed, and practice squad receivers Kevin White and Kirk Merritt. Green Bay’s receiving corps is banged-up and talent-poor, so there are better opportunities for him up north.

And the Seattle Seahawks picked up former Saints wide receiver Easop Winston Jr. after a group tryout. A former Washington State Cougar, Winston spent most of the last year on New Orleans’ practice squad but was waived late in the summer during roster cuts. He’s on the Seattle practice squad closer to home after pursuing a couple of different opportunities as a free agent.

Quite a few former Saints players tried out for other teams this week. Here’s the full list, per the daily NFL transactions wire:

  • WR Kawaan Baker (Green Bay Packers-signed)

  • WR Easop Winston Jr. (Seattle Seahawks-signed)

  • WR Dai’Jean Dixon (Seattle Seahawks)

  • CB DaMarcus Fields (Washington Commanders, Carolina Panthers)

  • CB Tre Swilling (San Francisco 49ers)

  • CB Ken Crawley (Tennessee Titans)

  • RB Abram Smith (Miami Dolphins)

  • OL Sage Doxtater (Arizona Cardinals)

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Proof of Saints’ upgraded WR corps can be seen on other teams

Proof of the upgraded Saints WR corps can be seen on other teams. The Patriots like Ty Montgomery and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, while Easop Winston Jr. was just picked up by the Browns:

Don’t look now, but some familiar names are making noise around the NFL. A couple of former New Orleans Saints wide receivers have endeared themselves to New England Patriots fans after traveling up north in free agency, with receiver-running hybrid Ty Montgomery earning rare praise from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick spoke highly of Montgomery at practice this week, telling Patriots.com’s Mike Dussault that, “Ty’s been a wonderful kid to have around. He’s a very smart, multi-skilled, multi-talented player. Looking forward to working with him throughout the course of the year on the team in multiple roles. I think there’s a lot of different things he can do, we’ll have to figure out how to combine him with other players on the field. It’s nice to be able to work with him.”

Montgomery played the most snaps on special teams in his career to hang on with New Orleans last season (totaling 180 reps in the kicking game), eventually working his way into the largest workload he’d seen on offense since the 2017 season (playing 300 snaps as a runner and receiver). Putting all of his skills on tape helped him secure a free agent contract with the New England Patriots, where he’s established a quick rapport with second-year quarterback Mac Jones while elbowing his way into New England’s running backs rotation.

But Montgomery isn’t the only former Saints receiver showing out in New England. His former teammate Lil’Jordan Humphrey also signed with the Patriots over the summer and made the most of his opportunity in their first preseason game, bagging 6 receptions (off of 8 targets) to gain 62 yards with a 20-yard touchdown catch to his credit. He’s got more work to do before securing a roster spot, but that’s as good a start as anyone could hope for.

And like Montgomery, Humphrey was a big part of the Saints’ depth at receiver. They kept him on the practice squad for several years and dressed him for 10 games last season. But after adding so much talent to the top of the roster, they’ve positioned themselves to look elsewhere for backups while these guys try their hand with new teams.

It’s still happening. Easop Winston Jr. was a surprise release during the first wave of roster cuts this week, and he immediately landed with the Cleveland Browns as a waiver wire pickup. Like Humphrey, Winston spent time on the Saints practice squad in recent years, and like Montgomery he had been playing on special teams to help his case for a roster spot. And just like them, the numbers game pushed him out of the picture, but he’s landed on his feet. He’ll have a chance to impress the Browns through their next two preseason games.

So look for this trend to keep up in the weeks ahead, with more roster cuts deadlines and exhibition games to navigate. The Saints won’t be able to keep everyone. It’s a safe bet that Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Chris Olave, and Deonte Harty are each locks to make the Week 1 squad, but things look dicey even for established receivers like Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway after that — to say nothing of players on the roster bubble like Kirk Merritt, Kevin White, Kawaan Baker, and undrafted rookies Dai’Jean Dixon (Nicholls) and Rashid Shaheed (Weber State). After a few years in the wilderness, the Saints are finally running so deep at receiver that other teams envy them.

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Saints sign 8 practice squad players to reserve/future contracts

The Saints signed 8 practice squad players to reserve/future contracts, including 2021 draft pick Kawaan Baker:

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The New Orleans Saints reported 8 reserve/future contracts with practice squad players on Monday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire, including 2021 draft pick Kawaan Baker. This means they’ll all count towards the 90-man offseason roster limit at a minimum salary, helping the team to reload for 2022.

Here’s what you need to know about each returning player, and who hasn’t been re-upped yet:

Saints sign a pair of free agent offensive linemen to the practice squad

Saints sign a pair of free agent offensive linemen to the practice squad

The New Orleans Saints reinforced their offensive line this week by signing a couple of veteran free agents to the practice squad, which followed an earlier reunion with wide receiver Kevin White. Here is the state of the Saints practice squad after these new additions and what you need to know about each player: