Tag: James Carpenter

Cam Jordan gets another contract extension from the Saints

The 2011 draft class was stacked beyond reason

In some around-the-NFL type of news, the New Orleans Saints have extended their dominant defensive lineman Cam Jordan to a new contract. Jordan, who has been a staple on the Saints defensive front ever since he broke into the league in 2011, will remain in the Big Easy for two more years.

Originally the No. 24 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft, Jordan was actually selected one spot before Seattle could pick at No. 25. Instead, the Seahawks took guard James Carpenter, who was a starter for several years and helped Seattle win their first Super Bowl.

Looking back at the 2011 draft class, it’s hard to not be awestruck by the incredible amount of talent available. I mean, just look at the first seven picks:

  1. Cam Newton
  2. Von Miller
  3. Marcell Dareus
  4. A.J. Green
  5. Patrick Peterson
  6. Julio Jones
  7. Aldon Smith

Also in the first round was J.J. Watt, Robert Quinn, Ryan Kerrigan, Mark Ingram II and Muhammad Wilkerson.

Of course, Seattle fans will remember the 2011 draft fondly, as it brought them Richard Sherman, K.J. Wright, Byron Maxwell, Super Bowl XLVIII MVP Malcolm Smith, and Doug Baldwin as an undrafted free agent.

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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:

Ravens make multiple roster moves ahead of Week 11 matchup vs. Bears

The Ravens announced a series of roster movies ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the Bears

The Baltimore Ravens have been shuffling their roster around at a rapid pace ever since before the 2021 season began. Every team makes constant changes to their roster as the year goes along, but Baltimore has been dealing with a massive amount of injuries as the year has gone on, so they’ve added and taken off a lot of players to and from injured reserve.

On Saturday, the Ravens announced multiple roster moves. They activated guard Ben Cleveland from injured reserve while also placing outside linebacker Pernell McPhee on injured reserve.

Cleveland has been out of action ever since Week 5 against the Indianapolis Colts, where he suffered a knee injury. McPhee was already ruled out for Week 11, but his placement on injured reserve opens up a spot on the active roster.

Baltimore also signed guard/defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie to the active roster, while also elevating quarterback Trace McSorley and inside linebacker Joe Thomas from the practice squad.

McKenzie provides depth on both offense and defense, as the team has been cross training him at guard after starting the year as solely a defensive tackle.

McSorley gives the Ravens an insurance policy in the event that quarterback Lamar Jackson can’t suit up on Sunday as he battles an illness. Thomas provides some inside linebacker depth.

Carpenter signed with the team’s practice squad a few weeks ago, and was elevated to the active roster for Baltimore’s Week 10 loss to the Miami Dolphins

Ravens protect four players on practice squad ahead of Week 11

The Ravens protected four players on their practice squad ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the Bears

The Baltimore Ravens are looking to bounce back in a big way against the Chicago Bears during Week 11. Baltimore fell to the Miami Dolphins in shocking fashion in Week 10, losing 22-10 in a game that many projected them to win by a rather large margin.

Ahead of their Week 11 bout with Chicago, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic shared the Ravens’ four practice squad protections for the matchup in guard James Carpenter, guard/defensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie, offensive tackle David Sharpe and inside linebacker Joe Thomas.

Baltimore is going rather offensive line heavy with their practice squad protections, with two pure lineman as well as a cross trained defensive tackle who can also play a bit at guard. Thomas should also provide a bit of inside linebacker depth in the event that the Ravens want to call up an extra defender.

Ravens make multiple roster moves ahead of Week 10 matchup vs. Dolphins

The Ravens made a series of roster moves ahead of their Week 10 game against the Dolphins

The Baltimore Ravens are set to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 10 of the 2021 season. Baltimore currently stands on top of the AFC North at 6-2, while Miami has struggled for most of the season as they boast a 2-7 record.

Ahead of their matchup with the Dolphins, the Ravens made a series of roster moves just a few hours before kickoff. They announced that they have promoted tight end Eric Tomlinson and cornerback Chris Westry to the active roster, while also elevating guard James Carpenter and guard/defensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie from the practice squad to the active roster.

The promotion of Tomlinson to the active roster casts doubt over whether tight end Nick Boyle will be able to suit up in this game. Boyle has been out since the middle of the 2020 season with a serious knee injury. Westry suffered a torn meniscus in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Radiers, and now makes his return to the active roster.

For their practice squad elevations, Baltimore decided to beef up their offensive line with the elevations of Carpenter and McKenzie. Carpenter has years of experience at left guard, while the Ravens are cross-training McKenzie, who is a defensive lineman, to play on the offensive line.

Ravens protect four players on practice squad ahead of Week 10

The Ravens protected four players on their practice squad ahead of their Week 10 game against the Dolphins

The Baltimore Ravens have been following the “next man up” mentality for all of the 2021 season, as they’ve had to go through multiple losses on both sides of the ball due to injury. Even so, they’ve put together a 6-2 record and stand on top the AFC North through nine weeks.

On Tuesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reported that Baltimore had protected four players on their practice squad ahead of their Week 10 matchup with the Miami Dolphins in running back Nate McCrary, guard James Carpenter, guard/defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie and inside linebacker Joe Thomas.

McCrary could be an option to get elevated to the active roster for Thursday if fellow running back Latavius Murray is unable to play as he continues to nurse an ankle injury. Carpenter could provide interior depth on the offensive line, while McKenzie could take snaps at multiple positions. Thomas could be used as an extra inside linebacker, especially with the absence of Malik Harrison.

Ravens protect four players on practice squad ahead of Week 9

The Ravens protected four players on their practice squad ahead of their Week 9 game with the Vikings

The Baltimore Ravens returned from their bye week at the top of the AFC North thanks to a Cincinnati Bengals loss to the New York Jets in Week 8. Baltimore will try to keep their hold of the top spot in their division by beating the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9.

Ahead of their game with Minnesota, the Ravens protected four players on their practice squad in tight end Eric Tomlinson, offensive lineman James Carpenter, offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi, and inside linebacker Joe Thomas.

Tomlinson was recently released and re-signed to the team’s practice squad, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get called up for Week 9, especially if fellow tight end Nick Boyle still isn’t ready to return to action. Both Carpenter and Ogbuehi could provide some offensive line depth, but it seems more likely that Ogbuehi would get a call up between the two players based off of the injures that the team has sustained at the tackle position. Thomas would provide some inside linebacker depth after Malik Harrison was placed on the Non-Football Injury list.

Ravens protect four players on practice squad ahead of Week 7

The Ravens protected four players on their practice squad ahead of Week 7

The Baltimore Ravens have found multiple players who can contribute at a high level through their practice squad in 2021. They’ve needed to rely on new faces (and some old ones as well) due to the fact that they’ve suffered a slew of injuries, but they have barely missed a beat, going an AFC-best 5-1 through their first six weeks.

On Tuesday, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reported that Baltimore has protected four of their practice squad players ahead of their Week 7 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in offensive linemen David Sharpe and James Carpenter, defensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie, and inside linebacker Joe Thomas.

Both Carpenter and Thomas were signed to the Ravens’ practice squad on Tuesday, and they would each provide depth at their respective positions. However, it’s fair to question how much of the playbook they would understand in just a few short days before Sunday.

Sharpe was a practice squad protection last week and would be a depth piece at tackle with Ronnie Stanley now on injured reserve. McKenzie was called up for Baltimore’s Week 3 game against the Detroit Lions.

Ravens sign two players to practice squad, release one

The Ravens signed two players to their practice squad on Tuesday while releasing one

The Baltimore Ravens have done plenty of practice squad shuffling over the course of the 2021 season. They’ve found multiple practice squad players who have made positive impacts so far, and they hope that will continue over the rest of the year.

On Tuesday, the team announced that they had signed offensive lineman James Carpenter and linebacker Joe Thomas to the practice squad, while releasing outside linebacker Chris Smith from the practice squad. Baltimore had an open spot on their practice squad after they promoted running back Le’Veon Bell to the active roster.

Carpenter is a former first-round pick, as he was selected with the 25th overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. He has played primarily left guard over the course of his career, and has also spent time with the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets.

Thomas is a veteran linebacker who has spent time with three NFL franchises, most recently playing for the Houston Texans. He will provide more inside linebacker depth on the practice squad with Josh Bynes recently being promoted to the active roster.

Smith played with the Ravens during the 2021 preseason and was one of Baltimore’s cuts during cut down day. He was signed to the practice squad soon after.

Ravens bring in two players for tryouts on Friday

The Ravens brought in two players for tryouts on Friday

The Baltimore Ravens have been shuffling their roster around for the entirety of the 2021 season. They’ve brought in multiple new faces from outside the organization to contribute, and they’ve also had many players come in for tryouts to see if they could be a fit for the organization.

On Friday, Baltimore brought in two players for tryouts in guard James Carpenter and defensive back Jayson Stanley. Both play positions where the Ravens have been hit hard by injuries.

Carpenter is a former first-round pick, as he was selected 25th overall in the 2011 draft by the Seattle Seahawks. The veteran has also spent time with the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons, and has primarily played left guard at the NFL level.

Stanley signed with the Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He then bounced around the league before appearing in eight games with the Seahawks during the 2020 season.