Tag: Jesper Horsted

Countdown to Kickoff: Jesper Horsted is the Saints Player of Day 79

There isn’t a No. 79 on the Saints right now, but Jesper Horsted just signed and chose his jersey number. He’s our Saints Player of the Day as we count down to kickoff:

We’re counting down the days until the New Orleans Saints kick off their 2024 regular season with the Carolina Panthers, and while normally we’d be highlighting the player of the day in the corresponding jersey number (or a fan-favorite from the past who used it, when one isn’t available), we’re doing things a little different today.

Tight end Jesper Horsted has chosen to wear the No. 88 jersey with the Saints, and because he signed so recently he’s our pick; no one had taken it when we reached Day 88 in our countdown, and he had yet to sign with the team. Coincidentally, there also isn’t currently a No. 79 on the roster. We’ll take this opportunity to highlight Horsted, so let’s get to know him a little better.

  • Name (Age): Jesper Horsted (27)
  • Position: Tight end
  • Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 237 pounds
  • Relative Athletic Score: 4.70
  • 2024 salary cap hit: $985,000
  • College: Princeton
  • Drafted: Undrafted in 2019 (Chicago Bears)
  • NFL experience: 5 years

Horsted’s connection to the Saints runs through tight ends coach Clancy Barrone — who held the same position in Chicago when the Bears signed him as a rookie free agent. He’s primarily played special teams in the NFL (527 career snaps, including a career-high 216 last year with the Las Vegas Raiders) and that might be his path to making the team.

But the Saints signed Horsted after a foot injury sidelined Juwan Johnson for much of the summer. Like Johnson, he’s known as more of a pass-catching tight end than a blocker, so expect him to pick up the slack in receiving drills once training camp begins in late July. Guys like Michael Jacobson and Dallin Holker are ahead of him on the depth chart, but this is also an opportunity for Foster Moreau and Tommy Hudson to show the coaching staff they have hands, too.

Ultimately it’s on Horsted to prove he can handle a range of assignments and win the job as their third tight end behind Johnson and Moreau when roster cuts are decided at the end of August. He may have joined the team as a temporary fill-in because of an injury to another player, but that doesn’t  have to define his time on the team. Let’s see how he chooses to write his story.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

Saints sign tight end Jesper Horsted, waive rookie wide receiver Kyle Sheets

The New Orleans Saints signed former Raiders tight end Jesper Horsted after an injury to Juwan Johnson, waiving rookie wide receiver Kyle Sheets to make room:

The New Orleans Saints announced Friday they had signed tight end Jesper Horsted, waiving undrafted rookie wide receiver Kyle Sheets to make room. Formerly of the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears, Horsted was brought in to reinforce the depth chart after an injury to starting tight end Juwan Johnson.

Horsted has mostly played special teams after turning pro out of Princeton, though he has caught 14 passes for 131 yards and three touchdowns in his four-year NFL career. He has also made ten tackles in the kicking game. He’s someone they know well. Horsted was teammates with Derek Carr on the Raiders in 2022 and he was coached by Clancy Barone with the Bears before that.

Johnson is expected to return in time for the start of the regular season so the Saints weren’t going to look for a big name to replace him. Look for Foster Moreau and rookie favorite Dallin Holker at practices over the summer with veteran backups Michael Jacobson and Tommy Hudson in the mix, plus Taysom Hill.

As for Sheets: the rookie from Slippery Rock was guaranteed just $30,000 in his contract with the Saints so there won’t be much of a salary cap impact from letting him go. We’ll wish him well in catching on with a new team.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4]

9 Raiders free agents remain unsigned after first week

One week later and 9 Raiders free agents still unemployed

A great many departing Raiders found new homes over the past week. Some were re-signed to the team as well. You can all the team’s additions, retentions, and subtractions right here in our free agency tracker.

But not all of those who were a member of the Raiders a week ago have found a landing spot yet. Specifically these nine.

What Condition the Position is in: Assessing Raiders level of need at TE ahead of free agency

What Condition Raiders Position is in: Tight end

With free agency under a month away, it’s time to check in on the Raiders’ tight end position to give it a condition of either Strong, Stable, Unstable, Serious, or Critical.

Starter: Michael Mayer
Depth: Zach Gentry, Cole Fotheringham, John Samuel Shenker
Free Agents: Austin Hooper, Jesper Horsted

Mayer didn’t come bursting out the gates as some thought he might as the 35th overall pick in the draft. But around midseason, he started to show some of the skills that were expected of him, before being lost to injury late. The veteran Hooper was the team’s number two tight end. All others played sparingly or not at all.

Condition: Stable

Even if Hooper leaves in free agency, the team is set with Mayer as their starting tight end. He is no sure thing, but expect the Raiders to ride with him for now to see if he can develop. They would simply look to bolster the position with a mid level free agent or mid round draft selection, which shouldn’t be difficult.

Remembering 10 favorite Bears training camp players

With Bears training camp 2023 well underway, let’s remember some former standouts that became fan favorites in previous years.

Chicago Bears training camp is well underway and fans are getting a close look at the team as they prepare for the upcoming 2023 season. Star players like Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, and Jaylon Johnson are of course the focus as the team looks to improve upon its dismal 3-14 record from a year ago, but camp is also about finding those undrafted players near the bottom of the roster that can turn heads.

Guys like Terrell Lewis, Aron Cruickshank, and Buddy Johnson have stood out at different times already. Camp is a prime opportunity for players to make a name for themselves, which in turn gets fans excited about what they’re seeing on the field. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and remember some former Bears training camp and preseason standouts who may not have been household names.

Raiders sign former Bears TE Jesper Horsted

Raiders add another tight end to the mix for minicamp.

Today the Raiders had a full slate of tight ends on the field. Six in total. As of tomorrow, they should be fielding seven tight ends. The team signed former Bears tight end Jesper Horsted according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Horsted went undrafted out of Princeton in 2019. In two NFL seasons with the Bears, he appeared in 13 games with one start, catching ten passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns.

He was waived by the Bears on May 13.

No word yet on corresponding roster moves, but there should be one as the Raiders had a full 90-man offseason roster.

Report: Bears waive TE Jesper Horsted, claim Rysen John

The Bears are saying goodbye to a fan favorite as TE Jesper Horsted has been waived with a failed physical designation.

The Chicago Bears are saying goodbye to a fan favorite. According to Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus, the Bears are releasing tight end Jesper Horsted with a failed physical designation.

Kyed is also reporting they made a waiver claim on former New York Giants tight end Rysen John to take Horsted’s place on the roster.

Horsted signed with the Bears in 2019 as an undrafted free agent out of Princeton. A former receiver, Horsted converted to tight end and lit up the preseason that earned him a spot on the team’s practice squad. He eventually made it onto the active roster, playing in six games and catching eight passes for 87 yards and a touchdown.

After spending the 2020 season the practice squad, Horsted made the final roster cut in 2021 after another brilliant preseason performance. Despite playing on just six offensive snaps, Horsted had two catches for two touchdowns on the year, the first of which was quarterback Justin Fields’ first career touchdown pass that came in week five against the Las Vegas Raiders. He was re-signed earlier this offseason.

Taking his spot on the roster is John, who joined the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He has yet to play in a professional game due to injuries.

[listicle id=507359]

Updated look at Bears tight end depth after James O’Shaughnessy signing

With James O’Shaughnessy joining the Bears, here’s a look at where Chicago’s tight end depth stands.

The Chicago Bears signed tight end James O’Shaughnessy to a one-year deal, which makes him the third tight end move in free agency for general manager Ryan Poles.

O’Shaughnessy, a former fifth-round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015, has played seven NFL seasons with the Chiefs (2015-16) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2017-21). He has 112 catches for 1,108 yards and three touchdowns.

O’Shaughnessy was drafted by the Chiefs during Poles’ tenure, and he provides additional depth at tight end for the Bears, where he figures to serve as another backup for Cole Kmet.

With the addition of O’Shaughnessy, here’s a look at the Bears’ tight end depth:

Bears 2022 NFL Draft preview: Where does Chicago stand at tight end?

We’re breaking down each position ahead of the 2022 NFL draft. Next up is TE, which may not be as big of a priority during the draft.

The Chicago Bears are coming off a disappointing 2021 season that ushered in the start of a new era with general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. The hope is this Ryan-Matt duo will be able to guide the Bears  back to relevance.

With the NFL draft fast approaching, Poles still has plenty of work to do with the current roster, which features some glaring holes at positions of need. Positions like wide receiver, offensive line and defensive back remain huge concerns.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the 2022 NFL draft. It’s time to look at tight ends, a position that was bolstered last week and may not be as big of a priority during the draft.

Bears re-sign TE Jesper Horsted to 1-year deal

The Bears are bringing back a fan favorite as TE Jesper Horsted has signed a one-year deal as an exclusive rights free agent.

The Chicago Bears are bringing back a fan favorite as the team announced Monday afternoon they have signed tight end Jesper Horsted to a one-year deal as an exclusive rights free agent. He was tendered in early March.

Horsted enters his fourth season with the Bears after earning a spot on the team as an undrafted free agent in 2019 thanks to an impressive preseason performance.

The former Princeton standout had flashes of success his rookie year, catching eight passes for 87 yards and one touchdown. He was relegated to the practice squad in 2020, but worked his way back to the 53-man roster in 2021 after yet another strong preseason, playing behind Cole Kmet, Jimmy Graham, and Jesse James.

Last season, Horsted notched just six snaps on offense and caught two passes, both of which were touchdowns. He was the recipient of quarterback Justin Fields’ first touchdown pass of his career in the team’s Week 5 win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Much of his season was spent on special teams.

With Graham and James unlikely to return in 2022, however, Horsted stands to see more time on offense as the “U” tight end with Kmet at the “Y.” Listed at 6-foot-4 and 241 lbs, Horsted has shown he can be a problem for defenses and he might get to show that depending on the team’s plans at the position for the rest of the offseason.

[listicle id=504642]