Tag: elevation

Chiefs elevate one player from practice squad for Week 14 vs. Broncos

The #Chiefs have elevated a receiver from the practice squad for Week 14 vs. the #Broncos.

The Kansas City Chiefs have made a single practice squad elevation ahead of their Week 14 away game against the Denver Broncos.

After officially ruling out WR Kadarius Toney, the Chiefs elevated WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette from the practice squad via standard elevation. This is the only elevation for the team this week, meaning Melvin Gordon won’t be elevated to face his former team in Week 14.

This is the first standard elevation for Smith-Marsette since joining the practice squad in Kansas City in late October. One reason that the Chiefs have opted for Smith-Marsette is that WRs Marcus Kemp and Cornell Powell have both exhausted their limit of three standard elevations. Those limits go away once the postseason arrives, but only Smith-Marsette, Bryan Edwards and Jerrion Ealy have elevations available for the rest of the regular season.

An intriguing part of the Chiefs’ elevation of Smith-Marsette centers around special teams. He’ll surely be involved in the team’s coverage units, but will he be trusted as a return specialist? As an Iowa Hawkeye, Smith-Marsette was a very talented kick returner. He returned 53 kicks in college for over 1,500 yards and two touchdowns. He hasn’t done it much in the NFL, with just five kicks returned for 100 yards across time spent with two teams.

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Packers elevate RB Patrick Taylor, S Innis Gaines from practice squad to gameday roster for Week 12

The Packers elevated RB Patrick Taylor and S Innis Gaines from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 12 against the Eagles.

The Green Bay Packers elevated running back Patrick Taylor and safety Innis Gaines from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 12. The move was announced Saturday, making Taylor and Gaines available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday night’s showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.

This will be the second practice squad elevation for both Taylor and Gaines.

The Packers previously elevated Taylor for Week 2 against the Chicago Bears and Gaines for Week 8 against the Buffalo Bills.

Taylor was released from the 53-man roster on Wednesday and signed back to the practice squad on Friday, and his elevation will give the Packers a third running back option behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon and a special teams option for Rich Bisaccia.

Gaines played nine special teams snaps against the Bills. He will be one of seven safeties on the gameday roster for Week 12.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Taylor and Gaines now have one more elevation available this season. On Friday, both will revert back to the practice squad.

Elevations by week

Week 1: WR Juwann Winfree, S Micah Abernathy
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor
Week 3: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 4: CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: None
Week 6: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 7: OLB La’Darius Hamilton
Week 8: S Innis Gaines, OLB Kobe Jones
Week 9: None
Week 10: OLB La’Darius Hamilton, K Ramiz Ahmed
Week 11: OLB La’Darius Hamilton
Week 12: RB Patrick Taylor, S Innis Gaines

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Packers elevate OLB La’Darius Hamilton from practice squad to gameday roster for Week 11

The Packers elevated OLB La’Darius Hamilton from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 11 against the Titans.

The Green Bay Packers elevated outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 11. The move was announced Thursday, making Hamilton available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Thursday night’s showdown with the Tennessee Titans.

This will be the third and final practice squad elevation for Hamilton.

The Packers previously elevated Hamilton for games against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8 and Dallas Cowboys in Week 10.

Overall, Hamilton has played 19 snaps on defense and 21 on special teams this season.

The Packers need the depth at outside linebacker behind Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin and JJ Enagbare. Rashan Gary is on injured reserve, and Tipa Galeai hasn’t been activated to the 53-man roster.

Unlike last week, the Packers did not elevate kicker Ramiz Ahmed, suggesting Mason Crosby is back to full health after dealing with a short-term back injury. Ahmed handled kickoffs last week against the Cowboys.

The Packers also didn’t need to elevate a wide receiver from the practice squad after activating veteran Randall Cobb from injured reserve on Thursday. The team didn’t bring up Dede Westbrook, who was signed to the practice squad on Tuesday, so Keisean Nixon is expected to be the punt returner in place of Amari Rodgers.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Hamilton has no more elevations available this season. On Friday, Hamilton will revert back to the practice squad.

Elevations by week

Week 1: WR Juwann Winfree, S Micah Abernathy
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor
Week 3: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 4: CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: None
Week 6: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 7: OLB La’Darius Hamilton
Week 8: S Innis Gaines, OLB Kobe Jones
Week 9: None
Week 10: OLB La’Darius Hamilton, K Ramiz Ahmed

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Packers elevate OLB La’Darius Hamilton, K Ramiz Ahmed from practice squad to gameday roster for Week 10

The Packers elevated OLB La’Darius Hamilton and K Ramiz Ahmed from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 10 against the Cowboys.

The Green Bay Packers elevated outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton and kicker Ramiz Ahmed from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 10. The move was announced Saturday, making Hamilton and Ahmed available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday’s showdown with the Dallas Cowboys.

Injuries likely necessitated both elevations.

Hamilton, who was previously elevated in Week 8 against the Bills, will provide depth at outside linebacker after the Packers lost Rashan Gary to a season-ending injury in Detroit. The Packers didn’t activate Tipa Galeai from injured reserve to the 53-man roster, so Hamilton could play important snaps as a top backup on Sunday.

In Buffalo, Hamilton played 14 snaps on defense and 11 more on special teams.

At kicker, veteran Mason Crosby popped up on the injury report this week with a back injury, but he wasn’t given an injury designation and is expected to play. Ahmed, who has been in Green Bay since Aug. 14, would provide insurance in case the injury flares up in-game on Sunday. It’s also possible Ahmed will handle kickoffs to lessen the kicking workload for Crosby.

The Packers did not elevate a receiver from the practice squad or sign Juwann Winfree, possibly suggesting that Amari Rodgers will be available to play. He is currently questionable after being added to the injury report with a new lower-leg injury on Friday. Romeo Doubs has already been ruled out, leaving the Packers with Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Christian Watson and Samori Toure as the team’s four healthy receivers.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Hamilton has only one more elevation and Ahmed has two more elevations available this season. On Monday, both will revert back to the practice squad.

Elevations by week

Week 1: WR Juwann Winfree, S Micah Abernathy
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor
Week 3: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 4: CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: None
Week 6: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 7: OLB La’Darius Hamilton
Week 8: S Innis Gaines, OLB Kobe Jones
Week 9: None
Week 10: OLB La’Darius Hamilton, K Ramiz Ahmed

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Packers elevate S Innis Gaines, OLB Kobe Jones from practice squad to gameday roster for Week 8

The Packers elevated S Innis Gaines and OLB Kobe Jones from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 8 against the Bills.

The Green Bay Packers elevated safety Innis Gaines and outside linebacker Kobe Jones from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 8. The move was announced Saturday, making Gaines and Jones available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday’s showdown with the Buffalo Bills.

This is the first time the Packers have used both available elevations from the practice squad since Week 1.

Gaines and Jones will both be expected to contribute on special teams, while Jones could play meaningful snaps as a backup edge rusher. Last week, La’Darius Hamilton was elevated to the gameday roster and ended up playing  14 snaps on defense and another 11 on special teams.

This is the first elevation of the 2022 season for both Gaines and Jones.

While Rashan Gary is questionable because of a concussion, he practiced in full on Friday and all indications point to him playing Sunday. Jones is an obvious safeguard against Gary’s availability.

Also, Tipa Galeai remains on injured reserve, so the Packers need the body type of an edge rusher on special teams.

The Packers did not elevate a receiver from the practice squad or sign Juwann Winfree, possibly suggesting that rookie Christian Watson will be available to play on Sunday night as well. He is currently questionable after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury.

Jones would make his NFL debut if he plays on Sunday. Gaines, an undrafted free agent from TCU, played in one game for the Packers last season, producing one tackle over five special teams snaps.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so both Gaines and Jones now have only two more elevations available this season. On Monday, both will revert back to the practice squad.

Elevations by week

Week 1: WR Juwann Winfree, S Micah Abernathy
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor
Week 3: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 4: CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: None
Week 6: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 7: OLB La’Darius Hamilton
Week 8: S Innis Gaines, OLB Kobe Jones

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Packers elevate OLB La’Darius Hamilton from practice squad to gameday roster for Week 7

The Packers elevated outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 7 against the Commanders.

The Green Bay Packers elevated outside linebacker La’Darius Hamilton from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 7. The move was announced Saturday, making Hamilton available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday’s showdown with the Washington Commanders.

The Packers will now have five outside linebackers available for Sunday: Hamilton, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin and rookie Kingsley Enagbare. While Gary is dealing with a toe injury, Hamilton’s elevation could be based primarily on contributions to the special teams.

Hamilton (6-2, 260) played in five games for the Packers last season. He was on the field for 64 snaps on defense (three pressures, two stops) and six more on special teams.

This is Hamilton’s first elevation of the 2022 season.

The Packers did not elevate a receiver from the practice squad after activating Sammy Watkins from injured reserve. Juwann Winfree has been elevated three times and is out of available elevations, but Travis Fulgham was an option if the Packers felt they needed extra depth at receiver.

With Tipa Galeai on injured reserve, defensive coordinator Joe Barry and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia clearly wanted more help at edge rusher.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Hamilton now has only two more elevations available this season. On Monday, he will revert back to the practice squad.

Elevations by week

Week 1: WR Juwann Winfree, S Micah Abernathy
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor
Week 3: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 4: CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: None
Week 6: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 7: OLB La’Darius Hamilton

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Lions sign veteran CB Tramaine Brock to practice sqaud, release CB Dee Virgin

The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed veteran corner Tramaine Brock to the practice squad and released corner Dee Virgin in a corresponding move.

The Detroit Lions announced that they have signed 11-year veteran corner Tramaine Brock to the practice squad and released corner Dee Virgin in a corresponding move.

Brock (6-0, 188) spent the first seven years of his NFL career with the San Francisco 49ers who signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2010. Since then, he has spent time with the Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, and most recently the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Brock never made it on the field in Jacksonville — he was injured in camp, placed on injured reserve, and eventually released — but he is now healthy and could be a contributor in Detroit as early as this weekend, due to the injuries at the position.

Over Brock’s 117 career games played, he has started 56, including 11 during the 2019 season. Despite him joining the team late in the week, he could be a fourth/emergency option due to his wealth of experience.

Virgin has been with the Lions the past three seasons, mostly being utilized as a dynamic special teamer. Unfortunately, the Lions exhausted his ability to be elevated to the active roster this season — calling him up in Week 2 and 12 — and he became expendable. Expect him to catch on somewhere else in the NFL quickly based on his special team promise.

Detroit Lions elevate Mohamad Sanu and Frank Herron for Week 11

The Detroit Lions announced they have elevated Mohamad Sanu and Frank Herron from the practice squad to the active roster for their Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers.

The Detroit Lions announced they have elevated Mohamad Sanu and Frank Herron from the practice squad to the active roster for their Week 11 game against the Carolina Panthers.

With injuries along the defensive line and at wide receiver, the Lions proactively protected Sanu and Herron earlier in the week in case they were needed — which is very much the case.

On Friday, the Lions declared starting wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Danny Amendola OUT with hip injuries. Marvin Jones will continue to start and Marvin Hall will start for Golladay for the second week in a row, while Jamal Agnew will likely replace Amendola, and Quintez Cephus will fill in at multiple spots. Beyond those four players, the receiver depth chart on the active roster is empty.

Enter Sanu, an eight-year veteran who spent the first four years of his NFL career working the field alongside Marvin Jones. Sanu will likely only be needed as a fifth receiver, and will likely only see a handful of snaps — barring injury — but he is a valuable option to be able to bring off the bench. Don’t expect big numbers from him this week, but he is more than capable of making an impact play or two.

Last week, with Nick Williams unable to play, Herron was called up to fill in at defensive tackle. Williams is healthy this week, but Da’Shawn Hand was downgraded to OUT today, so once again Herron was elevated to the active roster. Like last week, another 20 snaps could be in order.

This is the second time Herron has been elevated from the practice squad, meaning he has exhausted his opportunities for the remainder of the season. If the Lions need to lean on him again, they will need to sign him to the active roster — similarly to what happened with Isaac Nauta earlier this season.

Lions elevate Marcus Martin to the active roster for Week 9 vs Vikings

The Detroit Lions announced they have elevated interior offensive lineman Marcus Martin to the active roster for their Week 9 vs Minnesota Vikings.

The Detroit Lions announced they have elevated interior offensive lineman Marcus Martin to the active roster for their Week 9 game vs the Minnesota Vikings.

With Joe Dahl already being downgraded to OUT, Hal Vaitai being listed as questionable, and Taylor Decker missing some practice time earlier in the week, the Lions appear to be adding Martin to the active roster for insurance purposes.

Additionally, with Martin elevated to the active roster, the Lions now have nine offensive linemen active on the 53-man roster. While they only need eight to take advantage of a new rule of increasing their game-day roster from 46- to 48-players, it’s worth noting that rookie Logan Stenberg has been a healthy scratch every game this season.

While Martin will be available, he is not guaranteed to be active on Sunday. Earlier this year, the Lions elevated Jonathan Williams but made him inactive on game day as he was unneeded insurance at his position. So, if Stenberg is ready to backup, and if their injured players are ready to play, Martin may find himself a healthy scratch.

It’s also worth noting that even though wide receivers Kenny Golladay and Jamal Agnew have both been ruled out, the Lions did not elevate a receiver. They will roll with just four at the position.

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Chiefs don’t elevate any practice squad players for Week 1 vs. Texans

The Chiefs aren’t taking advantage of a new practice squad rule in Week 1.

The Kansas City Chiefs haven’t elevated any players from their practice squad ahead of Thursday night’s season opener against the Houston Texans.

One of the new features of NFL practice squads during the 2020 season is the “Standard Elevation Addendum.” This gives teams the ability to elevate two players to the active roster on game day, bringing the game-day roster from 46 active players to 48 active players. It’s one of the many new rules related to practice squads for this season in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the NFL’s official transaction report, the Chiefs did not elevate any players from their practice squad for the season opener. Why did the team choose to not add more players to their active roster?  It likely has to do with the fact that everyone was a full participant in practice during the final day of the week. None of their players carried a game status designation heading into the game. Kansas City has its full complement of players available to them, hence no reason to bring up any additional players from the practice squad.

Houston, on the other hand, elevated a single player from their practice squad ahead of tonight’s tilt in Kansas City. They added RB Scottie Phillips, bringing their game-day roster to 47 players.

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