Tag: Jakeem Grant

Falcons sign former Pro Bowl kick returner to practice squad

Falcons sign former Pro Bowl kick return specialist to 16-man practice squad

The last few years have been anything but smooth sailing for NFL kick return specialist Jakeem Grant. After making the first Pro Bowl of his NFL career in 2021, Grant suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2022 and 2023.

The Atlanta Falcons signed Grant earlier in the season but ended up waiving him via injury settlement a few weeks later. On Wednesday, the team once again signed Grant, this time to the practice squad.

Grant, 32, was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft out of Texas Tech. After spending his first five seasons in Miami, he was traded to the Chicago Bears four games into the 2021 campaign.

Despite signing with the Browns as a free agent in 2022, Grant never suited up for Cleveland due to injuries. Now he returns to Atlanta hoping to finally get his career back on track. Grant has recorded 100 catches for 1,140 receiving yards and seven touchdowns over his six years in the NFL.

His biggest contributions have come in the return game. Grant has 119 career punt returns for 1,228 yards and four touchdowns, with another 110 kick returns for 2,699 yards and two touchdowns.

Assuming he’s healthy this time around, Grant could be a nice depth addition for a Falcons team looking to end a six-year postseason drought.

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Falcons release WR Jakeem Grant from IR with injury settlement

Falcons release WR Jakeem Grant from IR with injury settlement

Falcons wide receiver Jakeem Grant‘s brief stay in Atlanta has officially come to an end. The former Pro Bowl return specialist signed with the team on August 11 but was placed on the injured reserve list less than a week later. The Falcons released Grant from the injured reserve list with an injury settlement on Thursday, per team reporter Terrin Waack.

Grant, 31, made the Pro Bowl in 2021 before suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2022 and 2023. Since the Falcons released him via settlement, Grant can return this season and sign with another team when he gets healthy.

The Falcons made their third major move of the last week on Thursday, signing cornerback A.J. Terrell to a four-year extension. This comes a few days after the team introduced outside linebacker Matthew Judon and safety Justin Simmons.

Atlanta must trim the roster to 53 players by the NFL’s cut deadline on August 27. That leaves one more preseason game for the players on the bubble to impress the coaching staff. The Falcons host the Jacksonville Jaguars in their preseason finale on Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Check out the team’s updated 90-man roster and latest depth chart ahead of Friday night’s matchup.

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Falcons place wide receiver Jakeem Grant on injured reserve list

#Falcons place WR Jakeem Grant on injured reserve list four days after signing him to the roster

The Atlanta Falcons have placed four players on the injured reserve list over the last eight days. Recently signed wide receiver/kick returner Jakeem Grant is the latest player to earn the injury designation, according to team reporter Terrin Waack.

The 31-year-old made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner in 2021 but suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2022 and 2023. Grant was signed to the roster on Sunday to help replace Rondale Moore but will instead join his fellow wide receiver on the injured reserve list.

Grant’s injury was overshadowed by the team’s trade for Matthew Judon and the reported signing of free-agent safety Justin Simmons. Judon and Simmons have six combined Pro Bowl appearances and should instantly elevate the rest of Atlanta’s defense.

The team could still use a little more receiver depth. Don’t be surprised to see the Falcons make another move for a wide receiver with Grant out. Sixth-round pick Casey Washington should continue to see more playing time as the injuries pile up.

Make sure to check out the team’s updated 90-man roster and latest depth chart ahead of Saturday’s preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens.

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LOOK: Falcons wide receiver Jakeem Grant debuts familiar number

LOOK: Falcons’ new wide receiver Jakeem Grant takes Cordarrelle Patterson’s old number

The Atlanta Falcons signed versatile wide receiver/kick returner Jakeem Grant to their 90-man roster on Sunday as a replacement for injured receiver Rondale Moore. Grant is no stranger to the injury bug, suffering back-to-back season-ending injuries in 2022 and 2023.

Even though the Falcons were off Tuesday, the team’s Twitter account released a photo of Grant making his debut in a Falcons uniform. The former Pro Bowl return man was wearing the No. 84, the number previously worn by another Atlanta return specialist.

Former Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson had a memorable run in Atlanta from 2021-2023. Patterson became a fan favorite by doing whatever the team asked of him on the field. Plus, his big personality provided some much-needed levity during those dry years under former head coach Arthur Smith.

Patterson was not re-signed over the offseason, eventually landing a contract in Pittsburgh where Smith is now the offensive coordinator. In 2021, Patterson went over 1,000 all-purpose yards in somewhat of a breakout year.

It’s unclear what Grant’s role will be yet, but seeing the No. 84 will certainly bring back memories of Patterson’s three seasons in Atlanta. The Falcons and Steelers face off in Week 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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Falcons to sign former Pro Bowl KR, veteran running back, per reports

Falcons expected to sign former Pro Bowl return man and veteran running back, according to multiple reports

The Atlanta Falcons suffered two potentially serious injuries during Friday’s preseason loss to the Miami Dolphins. Safety DeMarcco Hellams and outside linebacker Bralen Trice each went down in the first half and did not return.

While there’s been no official update, the Falcons appear to be on the verge of adding two players to their roster, a possible sign that Hellams and Trice could be headed to the injured reserve list. According to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the team is expected to sign former Pro Bowl kick returner Jakeem Grant.

The 31-year-old has 100 career catches for 1,140 receiving yards, and can return both kicks and punts. Signing Grant makes sense as the Falcons placed wide receiver Rondale Moore on the injured reserve list last week.

Grant suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries but made the Pro Bowl during his last healthy season in 2021. That isn’t the only move the Falcons are expected to make, though.

According to a report from NFL reporter Tanner Phifer, Atlanta is set to sign former Panthers running back Spencer Brown. The 25-year-old appeared in six games for Carolina from 2021-2022, recording nine carries for 43 rushing yards.

Signing Brown would add depth to Atlanta’s backfield while bringing some special teams value.

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Jets bring kick returner Jakeem Grant to minicamp on tryout basis

Jets bring kick returner Jakeem Grant to minicamp on tryout basis

The Jets are bringing in veteran kick returner Jakeem Grant to their minicamp on a tryout basis. Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reported the news Monday.

With the new kickoff rules adding more chances for returns, the Jets are testing the waters with veterans return men, having also signed running back Tarik Cohen to compete with Xavier Gipson. Like Cohen, Grant is coming off serious injuries. Grant has not played since the 2021 season as an Achilles tear (2022) and a torn patellar tendon (2023) have cost Grant the last two seasons.

Before his injuries, Grant was a two-time Second-Team All-Pro return in 2020 and 2021 with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears. Grant has four career punt return touchdowns and two career kic kick return touchdowns

Former Browns WR/KR Jakeem Grant Sr. will try out for the New York Jets

Grant will get a shot with the Jets

Things didn’t go as planned for Jakeem Grant Sr. with the Cleveland Browns after signing with the team after the 2021 season. Andrew Berry has worked the past couple of years to get the special teams up to par, and signing Grant in 2022 was part of that plan.

However, injuries struck, starting in 2022, with a torn achilles during training camp, which saw his first year in Cleveland over before it began. Grant attacked his rehab and worked hard to get back on the field last year, and his first return in the preseason saw another devastating season-ending injury.

It was hard to watch Grant in pain after everything he went through in 2022 to get back. But he has a shot to make another roster for 2024, as he will participate in the Jets minicamp this week on a tryout basis. Hopefully, he can get back on a roster and show the great speed and athleticism that made him one of the league’s best returners.

Podcast: Predicting the Browns’ final 53-man roster prior to training camp

How does the roster shake out as camp opens?

With the remainder of the Cleveland Browns roster reporting to training camp the long NFL off-season has finally come to an end. The team will have its first practice at the Greenbrier on Sunday. A majority of the roster is likely set going into training camp outside of a few roster battles that’ll take place.

In this week’s podcast, I was joined by Dawg Pound Daily’s Randy Gurzi and Casey Kinnamon to predict how the 53-man rosters will play out barring injuries. You can watch this episode by clicking here to see what the four of us predict will happen in training camp with the return of Browns football.

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Browns, WR/KR Jakeem Grant agree to a renegotiated deal to his reduce cap hit

The Browns clear a bit of cap space.

As the Cleveland Browns are just at the beginning of clearing cap space to give them some big-time money to spend in free agency (yes, they will clear quite a bit of cap space), they have made their first move. The Browns and wide receiver/kick returner Jakeem Grant have agreed to renegotiate his contract, dropping his cap hit by $1.765 million this season. The full terms of the new deal have not been released yet.

Look for the Browns and quarterback Deshaun Watson to restructure their deal as well, which will clear a great deal of cap space in 2022. Safety John Johnson III will likely be a post-June 1 cut designation, which would clear about $10 million as well.

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3 players who could get the axe as cap casualties for the Browns

Which players may not return because of their salary?

The Cleveland Browns have some significant contract extensions that will kick in this next season. They have a ton of rollover cap from 2022 but they still need to clear some space for potential free agents. Andrew Berry has done an excellent job in creating outs in contracts where he can cut players early and gain cap space if the deal isn’t working out.

Cleveland will have to decide if they can find someone cheaper to fill in or if they might restructure the current deals to make space and retain players. Let’s take a look at three players that may be on a new team to create more cap space.

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