Tag: Jaryd Jones-Smith

Commanders sign All-XFL offensive tackle

The last time Washington signed someone who played for the St. Louis BattleHawks, it worked out well.

The Washington Commanders continue to make moves to upgrade the offensive line in 2023. On Tuesday, Washington signed offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith, who spent this spring in the XFL with the St. Louis BattleHawks.

The 6-foot-7, 320-pound Jones-Smith played collegiately at Pittsburgh and went undrafted in 2018. The 27-year-old signed with the Houston Texans and was waived during final cuts that summer.

From there, Jones-Smith landed in the Alliance of American Football [AAF], where he spent 2019 with the San Antonio Commanders. After the AAF suspended operations, Jones-Smith signed with the Miami Dolphins, where he again was waived during final cuts.

He spent the 2020 season with the Las Vegas Raiders, where he appeared in three games, all starts. He was released just before the 2021 season and signed with the Baltimore Ravens practice squad. He would end up playing in one game for the Ravens and was released during Baltimore’s final round of cuts in 2022.

In November, Jones-Smith was drafted by the XFL’s Battlehawks, where he’d play in every game during the XFL season, earning All-XFL honors. He parlayed that success into a contract with the Commanders. Only this time, it’s the Washington Commanders.

To make room for Jones-Smith, Washington released offensive tackle Drew Himmelman.

The last time Washington signed someone who spent the previous time with the XFL’s St. Louis BattleHawks, it worked out pretty well. That player was quarterback Taylor Heinicke.

Ravens sign eight players to Reserve/Future deals

The Ravens signed eight players to Reserve/Future deals

The Baltimore Ravens have begun their 2022 offseason after finishing 2021 8-9 and missing the postseason for the first time since 2017. Their 16-13 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers was a disappointing end to a very trying year, but now Baltimore has the opportunity to get better and come back stronger next season.

On Monday, the Ravens announced that they had signed eight players to Reserve/Future deals in wide receivers Binjimen Victor and Jaylon Moore, tight end Tony Poljan, center James Murray, tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith, guard/defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie, and defensive backs Robert Jackson and Kevin Toliver.

Reserve/Future deals don’t count against the salary cap until the new league year begins. Some of the players signed played in key moments for Baltimore in 2021, including Jackson, who was called upon multiple times due to the fact that the Ravens’ secondary was so decimated.

Players signed to Reserve/Future deals last offseason included quarterback Tyler Huntley and cornerback Chris Westry.

Ravens elevate three practice squad players to active roster for Week 17 game vs. Rams

The Ravens elevated three practice squad players for their Week 17 game against the Rams

The Baltimore Ravens have seen injuries and even COVID-19 ravage their locker room over the course of the 2021 season. However, despite being decimated at multiple different positions, the team still holds an 8-7 record and are still eligible for a playoff spot if they win their final two games and get some help.

On Saturday, the team announced that they had elevated three players from their practice squad to the active roster in offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith and defensive backs Robert Jackson and Tony Jefferson. Each could play a key role on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams.

Jones-Smith will help in the event that the Ravens need a healthy player at tackle, which has been a position that has been hit hard with ailments. Jackson will be cornerback depth and could even get some snaps early. Jefferson played very well in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and could have earned himself more snaps over the course of the rest of the year.

Ravens make three practice squad moves on Tuesday, protect four players ahead of Week 17

The Ravens made three moves relating to their practice squad on Tuesday while also protecting four other players

The Baltimore Ravens have needed to find needless contributors from their practice squad over the course of the 2021 season. Injuries, COVID and even more have decimated the Baltimore roster, so they’ve needed to find other ways to put players out on the field.

On Tuesday, the Ravens made three practice squad moves in adding center James Murray to the group while releasing quarterback Kenji Bahar and defensive back Blake Countess. They also protected offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith, defensive lineman Kahlil McKenzie and Isaiah Mack, as well as defensive back Robert Jackson.

Murray worked out for Baltimore last week, and now finds himself in Baltimore. Bahar was signed in an emergency situation, and has been in and out of the Ravens’ organization countless times over the course of the year. Countess signed with the team a few weeks ago.

Jones-Smith would provide some offensive tackle depth for the Baltimore offense, while both McKenzie and Mack played some good snaps against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jackson has been relied upon to play a lot in a decimated secondary, so him being protected is not surprising.

Ravens elevate five practice squad players to active roster for Week 15 game vs. Packers

The Ravens elevated five practice squad players to their active roster for their Week 15 matchup with the Packers

The Baltimore Ravens have needed to get creative over the course of the 2021 season due to the many injuries that they’ve suffered. From bringing in multiple new faces to having a next man up mentality, they’ve been able to will themselves to an 8-5 record and the top spot in the AFC North through 14 weeks.

On Saturday, it was announced that Baltimore elevated five players from their practice squad to their active roster in offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith, David Shapre and Adam Redmond, as well as defensive backs Robert Jackson and Tony Jefferson.

Calling up three offensive lineman is in response to multiple players on their line being out or game-time decisions, including starting guard Ben Powers and backup center Trystan Colon.

Jefferson gets the call after less than one week back with the team after signing to the practice squad on Monday, while Jackson has now been called up for three week in a row.

Ravens sign three players to practice squad, release one

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

The Baltimore Ravens have found some solid contributors on their practice squad in 2021. They’ve needed to elevate multiple players to be able to play high-level football due to how many injuries the team has sustained over the course of the year, including losing multiple stars for the season.

On Tuesday, the team made multiple moves in relation to their practice squad, signing three players while releasing one. The team added quarterback Kenji Bahar, offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith, and defensive back Kevin Toliver, while saying goodbye to offensive tackle Adrian Ealy.

Bahar is a Baltimore native, and spent time with the team in training camp, so he has some familiarity with the offense. The move comes after the Ravens lost quarterback Trace McSorley to the Arizona Cardinals.

Toliver has spent time with both the Denver Broncos and the Chicago Bears, and will give Baltimore some depth in the secondary, a position where they have been decimated by injuries.

Jones-Smith had been on the Ravens’ practice squad until last week, when he was released by the team. He will provide offensive line depth for unit that has had to shuffle around all season long.

Ealy signed with Baltimore as an undrafted free agent in 2021. He was released during final roster cuts but signed with the Baltimore practice squad the following day.

Ravens officially announce two moves, work out one player on Tuesday

The Ravens officially announced two roster moves and worked out one player on Tuesday

The Baltimore Ravens have been busy shaping and reshaping their roster over the course of the 2021 season. Injuries, inconsistent play and more have contributed to how much roster shuffling they have had to do this year.

The team has brought in multiple players at positions of need to try to put together a team that can deliver wins to the city of Baltimore. One of the positions hit hard by injury was at running back, so the team signed multiple veterans, including Le’Veon Bell. Bell was officially released by the Ravens on Tuesday, as was offensive tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith from the practice squad.

Baltimore also worked out defensive tackle Isaiah Mack on Tuesday as they look for some defensive tackle depth after it was revealed that Derek Wolfe will miss the entire 2021 season.

Bell fit in with the Ravens’ culture on the field, buying into the team and being a positive influence with his teammates and coaches. However, on the field he couldn’t seem to find any running room, totaling 83 yards on 31 carries, averaging 2.7 yards per carry. His departure opens up more playing time for fellow running back Ty’Son Williams, as well as potentially practice squad rusher Nate McCrary.

Ravens announce four practice squad roster moves

The Ravens announced four practice squad roster moves on Tuesday mostly relating to the offensive line

The Baltimore Ravens have been dealing with a massive amount of injuries to their team so far during the 2021 season. Baltimore has shuffled their roster around multiple times per week, which is the result of having so many players hurt.

On Tuesday, the Ravens announced that they made four practice squad roster moves, mostly centered around their offensive line. They signed offensive tackles David Sharpe and Jaryd Jones-Smith to their practice squad for depth along their line, and in corresponding moves released both offensive lineman Foster Sarell and inside linebacker Blake Gallagher.

Sharpe was a fourth-round pick of the then-Oakland Raiders back in 2017. He most recently spent time with the Washington Football Team. Jones-Smith has bounced around football after going undrafted during the 2018 draft, even spending time in the American Alliance of Football before the league folded.

Sarell and Gallagher both signed with Baltimore as 2021 undrafted free agents. Sarell was with the team for all of training camp before being released, while Gallagher was let go before the preseason began.

Sharpe and Jones-Smith join fellow offensive tackles Andre Smith and Adrian Ealy on the Ravens’ practice squad, meaning that the team currently has four tackles there. That could mean a number of things, including that Ronnie Stanley might not be close to 100% at the moment.

Ravens bring in two offensive tackles for tryouts

The Baltimore Ravens brought in two offensive tackles for tryouts on Friday

The Baltimore Ravens are already having to shuffle around their offensive line around a bit so far during the 2021 season. With Tyre Phillips being placed on injured reserve and Ronnie Stanley uncertain for Week 2 as he continues to recover from an ankle injury, Baltimore’s offensive line is in a bit of a tough situation right now, especially as they continue to get acclimated with each other on the field.

The team is seemingly weighing all of their options as they look to work through their injuries on their line. On Friday, the Ravens brought in two offensive tackles for workouts in Jaryd Jones-Smith and David Sharpe.

Jones-Smith signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2018 and has bounced around the NFL ever since, even spending some time in the Alliance of American Football before the league folded. Sharpe was a fourth-round pick of the then-Oakland Raiders back in 2017, but was cut after just one season with the team. He most recently spent time with the Washington Football Team.