Tag: J.R. Reed

J.R. Reed released from the Lions practice squad

The Detroit Lions have released S J.R. Reed from the practice squad

J.R. Reed had a short time in Detroit. The Lions released the young safety from the team’s practice squad on Friday.

Detroit signed Reed to the practice squad earlier in the week. With several injuries in the secondary, Reed was needed to help the Lions prepare to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 8.

The Lions have yet to make a corresponding move, but the team is expected to bring rookie DT Demetrius Taylor back on the practice squad. Taylor was waived this week after being a healthy scratch most weeks.

Lions work out 4 defenders, sign J.R. Reed to the practice squad

The Lions held tryouts for a few defenders on Tuesday, including two former Detroit players

Tuesday was an off day for practice at the Detroit Lions team facility, but there was still activity in the building. The Lions held a tryout for four defensive players and wound up signing one to the team’s practice squad.

Detroit signed veteran defensive back J.R. Reed to the practice squad after the tryout. Reed, 26, is a safety who played collegiately at Georgia. He’s been in the NFL for the last two-plus seasons, most recently with the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad. Reed played 16 games in 2020-2021, splitting time between the Los Angeles Rams and New York Giants. He played for the Denver Broncos all offseason and preseason.

The other players Detroit auditioned on Tuesday include a couple of ex-Lions, S Brady Breeze and DL Eric Banks, as well as DB Adrian Colbert. Banks and Breeze both played for the Lions in the 2021 season.

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Predicting the Broncos’ 5 upcoming roster cuts

The Broncos need to make five cuts before 2 p.m. MT on Tuesday.

The Denver Broncos have to trim the roster from 85 players down to 80 players before 2:00 p.m. MT on Tuesday. Here’s our quick prediction on which five players could be cut this week.

  • CB Donnie Lewis Jr.: He played the fewest snaps (five) among Denver’s cornerbacks on Saturday.
  • OL Michael Niese: The Broncos have a lot of depth at guard and while Niese might be a practice squad candidate, he’s unlikely to make the 53-man roster.
  • OLB Jonathan Kongbo: Similar to guard, Denver has a crowded outside linebacker depth chart, and Kongbo will face long odds to make the active roster.
  • DB J.R. Reed: Justin Simmons and Kareem Jackson are locks at safety. Caden Sterns and P.J. Locke have been excellent this summer, and they should be locks, too. Delarrin Turner-Yell is a fifth-round pick, so that will help his case. The Broncos seem very unlikely to carry six safeties.
  • WR Trey Quinn: Before his fumble on Saturday, Quinn was having a fine summer, but Denver has more receivers on the roster (11) than any other position, and Quinn might be the odd man out.

After making five cuts Tuesday, the Broncos will face the Minnesota Vikings in their preseason finale on Saturday. After that, Denver will have until the following Tuesday (Aug. 30) to finalize a 53-man roster.

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Predicting the Broncos’ 5 upcoming roster cuts

The Broncos have to make five roster cuts by Tuesday afternoon.

After completing the first week of preseason, the Denver Broncos now have to make five roster cuts before 2:00 p.m. MT on Tuesday to get down to an 85-man roster. Here’s our quick prediction on five players who might be on the bubble ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

1. DB J.R. Reed: Denver is loaded with depth at safety and Reed might be the odd man out. Jamar Johnson is also unlikely to make the 53-man roster, but Johnson might be cut later in the process as a potential practice squad candidate.

2. LB Kana’i Mauga: The Broncos are thin at linebacker, but that doesn’t necessarily help Mauga’s case. Denver will probably sign a free agent to help replace the injured Jonas Griffith, and that will bump Mauga even farther down the depth chart.

3. RB Stevie Scott: The Broncos will likely play starters in Week 2 of preseason, so (health permitting), Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams will likely be available this week. Add in Mike Boone and Max Borghi and there might not been room left in the backfield for Scott. JaQuan Hardy is likely a cut candidate as well.

4. TE Dylan Parham: If Greg Dulcich is able to return from his hamstring injury this week, Parham might be the odd man out at tight end.

5. OL Sebastian Gutierrez: Denver has to start cutting some offensive linemen at some point, and Gutierrez is near the bottom of the depth chart.

The Broncos will make five more roster cuts next week before the final cut down to a 53-man roster following their third preseason game.

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Former Georgia safety J.R. Reed finds new NFL home

JR Reed finds new NFL team

Former UGA safety J.R. Reed, who transferred to Georgia in 2016, has signed with the Denver Broncos.

Reed was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars in April 2020, but he was then waved in September. After being released by the Jaguars, Reed was signed to the Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad and was moved to the active roster in November of 2020.

In October of 2021, Reed was signed by the New York Giants off of the Rams’ practice squad where he played in four NFL games.

Reed will be a great addition to the Broncos’ defensive backfield with both his speed and hands.

As a Bulldog, Reed recorded 199 total tackles, five interceptions, and three fumbles, two of which were recovered for touchdowns.

Broncos signing DB J.R. Reed to 1-year contract

In addition to playing safety, new Broncos defensive back J.R. Reed can also play in the slot.

The Denver Broncos have agreed to terms with safety J.R. Reed on a one-year contract, the team announced Monday.

Reed (6-1, 194 pounds) is a third-year defensive back who entered the league as a college free agent out of Georgia with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020. After failing to make Jacksonville’s 53-man roster, Reed landed with the Los Angeles Rams.

Reed, 26, played in seven games with the Rams in 2020, contributing mainly on special teams. He only played in one game in L.A. last season before going down to the practice squad.

Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero coached Reed with the Rams over the last two years, first as a safeties coach (2020) and later as a secondary coach/passing game coordinator (2021).

The New York Jets signed Reed off the L.A.’s practice squad last October and he went on to play in eight games with the Jets, totaling 13 tackles. He also played on 44% of New York’s special teams snaps in 2021.

In addition to providing depth at strong safety, Reed might also be a candidate to play in the slot.

J.R. is the son of former NFL wide receiver Jake Reed and the nephew of former NFL cornerback Dale Carter, who spent time in Denver.

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Giants’ Kadarius Toney, Austin Johnson questionable vs. Eagles

New York Giants WR Kadarius Toney and DL Austin Johnson are questionable against the Philadelphia Eagles. Three others have been ruled out.

The New York Giants welcomed back several players from the Reserve/COVID-19 list this week but in the case of wide receiver Kadarius Toney, it may not matter.

Toney has been listed as questionable for a Week 16 game against the Philadelphia Eagles with an oblique injury.

Additionally, defensive lineman Austin Johnson has been listed as questionable with a foot injury.

Offensive lineman Ben Bredeson, wide receiver Collin Johnson and rookie running back Gary Brightwell have all been ruled out.

The Giants’ final injury report can be found below:

Out: OL Ben Bredeson (ankle), RB Gary Brightwell (neck), WR Collin Johnson (hamstring)

Doubtful: N/A

Questionable: DL Austin Johnson (foot), DB J.R. Reed (COVID ramp up), WR Kadarius Toney (oblique/COVID ramp up), LB Oshane Ximines (COVID ramp up)

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ final injury report can also be found below:

Out: N/A

Doubtful: N/A

Questionable: N/A

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Giants continue to see an uptick in positive COVID-19 tests

The New York Giants continue to see positive COVID-19 tests come back and now they’re also dealing with players who have the flu.

The New York Giants continue add players — specifically defensive backs — to the Reserve/COVID-19 list as their game against the Dallas Cowboys nears.

Although the transactions have not yet been made official, safety J.R. Reed and practice squad cornerback Natrell Jamerson are headed there after testing positive on Thursday.

Earlier this week, the Giants had positive COVID-19 test results from wide receivers Kadarius Toney and John Ross, linebackers Oshane Ximines and Cam Brown and cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Aaron Robinson.

Safety Xavier McKinney was identified as a ‘high-risk’ close contact. In addition, safety Steven Parker missed Thursday’s practice with a non-COVID illness.

Head coach Joe Judge says the team is dealing with both COVID-19 and flu issues.

The Giants could be facing a talented Cowboys receiving unit that boasts Amari Cooper, CeeDee Dee Lamb and Michael Gallup with a depleted secondary. If none of these players listed can return by Sunday, the Giants will be going a group consisting of safeties Logan Ryan and Julian Love and cornerbacks James Bradberry, Keion Crossen and Jarren Williams.

“We’ll work everybody, it’s something we have to do at different positions,” head coach Joe Judge said. “Look, we’re always into contingency plans and emergency plans, so we’re going to continue to practice.”

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J.R. Reed, Matt Skura were highest-graded Giants in Week 11

DB J.R. Reed and OL Matt Skura were the highest-graded New York Giants in Week 11, which speaks volumes about how poorly they played.

The New York Giants fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30-10, on Monday night and the game wasn’t even that close. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong — a trend that has developed in recent years.

Usually, we like to sugarcoat things and make note of the positives. However, there were precious few this week and the Pro Football Focus grades reflect that.

Offensively, guard Matt Skura led the way with an overall grade of 77.6 (50.0 pass protection grade). He was followed by left tackle Andrew Thomas (70.9) and wide receiver Kadarius Toney (63.0).

Other notable offensive grades include running back Saquon Barkley (60.5), quarterback Daniel Jones (55.4) and wide receiver Kenny Golladay (50.4).

The lowest-graded Giant on offensive was guard Will Hernandez, whose overall grade of 28.7 was dead last in the NFL at this position.

On the defensive side of the ball, defensive back J.R. Reed led the charge with an overall grade of 79.2. He was followed by linebacker Benardrick McKinney (72.6) and cornerback Darnay Holmes (69.1).

Some other notable defensive grades include cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (62.2), defensive lineman Leonard Williams (59.0) and safety Julian Love (48.2).

The lowest-graded Giants defender on Monday night was cornerback James Bradberry (36.9).

Yikes.

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Giants defeat Raiders, 23-16: Instant analysis

Analyzing the New York Giants’ 23-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders at MetLife Stadium in Week 9.

The New York Giants hosted the AFC West-leading Las Vegas Raiders at MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, which was a perfect day for football with temperatures around 50 degrees and hardly any wind.

The Giants were coming off another disappointing loss while Las Vegas was coming off their bye week. It was hardly an uneventful week for the Raiders with the tragic Henry Ruggs situation, and the Giants were uncertain about who would be available this week after some faulty COVID-19 tests.

The line at kickoff had dipped down to Giants +2.5 with an over/under of 46.5 points as per the Tipico Sportsbook app.

The Giants opened the scoring with a crisp seven-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a Daniel Jones-to-Evan Engram 30-yard hookup for a touchdown that Engram grabbed over Raiders safety Jonathan Abram.

The Raiders stormed right back, marching 72 yards on 10 plays and tied the game when Derek Carr hit Hunter Renfrow for a two-yard score after Renfrow shook James Bradberry on the goal line.

The defenses took over the game and the clubs traded field goals to bring the score to 10-10 with 2:00 remaining in the first half. The Giants have been terrible at the end of the first half all season and they continued that in this game as Las Vegas was able to add another field goal with 0:10 remaining in the half to take a 13-10 lead into the tunnel.

The Raiders lead was short-lived as Giants safety Xavier McKinney picked off Carr on the first possession the second half and took it 41 yards to the house to give the Giants a 17-13 lead.

On the next possession, the Giants defense once again stood tall and forced a field goal. It was their third red zone stop of the game in four tries.

Graham Gano’s 32-yard field goal widened the Giants’ lead with 14:07 remaining. The defense did their thing again on the Raiders’ next drive, stopping them on third-and-6 from the Giants’ 10. Daniel Carlson then hooked the 25-yard field goal attempt wide left to keep the score at 20-16 in favor of New York.

McKinney’s second interception shut the door on Las Vegas’ next possession and sent the Giants on a drive that resulted in a 36-yard field goal to extend the Giants’ lead to 23-16.

The Raiders took control of the football on their own 25 with 3:21 remaining. After driving down to the Giants’ 13 with 0:50 remaining, the defense went work again. Rookie defensive end Quincy Roche stripped Carr of the ball and it was recovered by Leonard Williams on the 23.

The Giants finally win close one. They are 3-3 after starting the year 0-3.

Notes

  • The Giants were shorthanded in the backfield. Saquon Barkley (ankle) and rookie Gary Brightwell (COVID-19) were inactive. Barkley has played in just 20 of the Giants’ last 41 games.
  • Devontae Booker had a career high 99 yards rushing on 21 carries and added 23 yards on three receptions.
  • Sterling Shepard (quad) missed his fourth game of the season. Shepard has now missed 14 games since the beginning of the 2019 season due to various injuries.
  • Fourth-round pick Elerson Smith, an outside linebacker out of Northern Iowa, made his NFL debut. Oshane Ximines was a healthy scratch, perhaps benched after his offsides penalty cost the Giants a chance to win last Monday night in Kansas City.
  • KR/WR Pharoh Cooper and safety J.R. Reed also made their Giants debut in this game.
  • Keion Crossen’s personal foul penalty on Raiders punter A.J. Cole was the 12th special team penalty of the season for the Giants, the most of any team in the NFL this year.
  • The game was broadcast on CBS as the Giants were hosting an AFC team. Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins (field reporter) called the game.

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