Tag: Jordan Wilkins

Colts vs. Chargers: Keys to victory in Week 16

Keys to victory for the Colts in Week 16 against the Chargers.

Statistically, the Indianapolis Colts are now out of it.

The Jacksonville Jaguars’ win Thursday night against the New York Jets means that it is now impossible for Jeff Saturday to lead his team into the postseason. The front office and coaching staff are now left with more questions than answers.

The Los Angeles Chargers come into this one fighting for a playoff spot, as they slowly get healthy and prepare for a run. This team should terrify the coaches in Indianapolis, as Los Angeles’ strengths line up with the Colts weaknesses.

Here are the keys to victory for the Colts if they want to keep their hopes alive.

Colts officially place RB Jonathan Taylor on IR among several moves

Colts placed Jonathan Taylor on IR, waived DE Ifeadi Odenigbo and added a pair to the practice squad.

As expected, the Indianapolis Colts placed running back Jonathan Taylor on the injured reserve list Tuesday due to the ankle injury he suffered in Week 15.

It wasn’t the only move the Colts made, though, and there was at least one mildly surprising move that involved the release of a productive, rotational defensive end in the form of Ifeadi Odenigbo. The Colts also made some moves to the practice squad.

Here’s a recap of the moves the Colts made Tuesday, some of which had already been covered:

Colts place LB Shaquille Leonard on IR among several moves

LB Shaquille Leonard placed on IR among several Colts’ roster moves.

The Indianapolis Colts placed linebacker Shaquille Leonard on the injured reserve list among several roster moves, the team announced Saturday.

Leonard suffered a setback during practice this week pertaining to his offseason back surgery, which he underwent in hopes of correcting a nerve issue that was impacting his ankle.

Leonard won’t play in a game until Week 15 (Colts have a bye in Week 14), but there are serious questions as to whether he will suit up again in 2022 considering the direction of the team.

Here’s a look at the roster moves the Colts made Saturday ahead of the Week 10 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders:

Colts elevate two RBs from practice squad in Week 9

The Colts called up two RBs from the practice squad for Week 9.

The Indianapolis Colts elevated running backs Phillip Lindsay and Jordan Wilkins ahead of the Week 9 matchup against the New England Patriots, the team announced Saturday.

Lindsay was expected to be called up from the practice squad after Jonathan Taylor was ruled out due to an ankle injury. The trade of Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills also played a part in the need for two running backs.

This is Lindsay’s third standard elevation from the practice squad this season, which means the Colts must sign him to the active roster if they want to be able to play him again.

Wilkins was signed to the practice squad earlier this week after the Hines trade went through.

The Colts also have Zack Moss on the roster now as a part of the trade with the Bills. However, he was only able to log two practices and it’s likely he needs more time to get a grasp of the offense. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s a healthy scratch for that reason.

With Taylor out, Deon Jackson will lead the charge in the backfield and likely get the majority of work while Lindsay spells him and Wilkins spends time on special teams.

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Colts sign RB Jordan Wilkins to the practice squad

The Colts signed RB Jordan Wilkins to the practice squad.

The Indianapolis Colts signed running back Jordan Wilkins to the practice squad, the team announced Wednesday.

Following the trade that sent Nyheim Hines to the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, and considering Jonathan Taylor is dealing with an ankle injury, it makes sense the Colts are bringing in a back who knows the system.

Wilkins spent four seasons with the Colts after they selected him in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft out of Ole Miss. He played mostly a depth role in the backfield before they waived him during the 2021 season.

He spent time with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans on their practice squads since.

The Colts also acquired Zack Moss in the trade with the Bills, but he still has to learn the offense.

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Saints try out a group of free agent running backs

The Saints brought in a group of free agent running backs for tryouts after losing Latavius Murray and Tony Jones Jr.:

It’s been a rough couple of weeks for the New Orleans Saints running backs. Their depth chart has taken several hits with veteran backup Latavius Murray leaving the practice squad for a better opportunity with the Denver Broncos and third-year pro Tony Jones Jr. being claimed by the Seattle Seahawks off of the waiver wire.

That leaves New Orleans with just three players at the position: Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram II, and Dwayne Washington. So it isn’t surprising to see the team fly in a group of free agents for tryouts this week. Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson reports that the Saints had four running backs work out at the team’s practice facility:

Titans’ Jordan Wilkins named a cut candidate by ESPN

Titans RB Jordan Wilkins is a longshot to make the roster in 2022.

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After Derrick Henry went down with a serious foot injury, the Tennessee Titans inked multiple backs to help fill the void, at first signing guys like Adrian Peterson, Dontrell Hilliard and D’Onta Foreman.

Then, in December, the Titans brought in former Indianapolis Colt Jordan Wilkins, adding him to the practice squad as an emergency back.

Unfortunately for Wilkins he wasn’t needed on offense, as Foreman, who is no longer with the team, took control of the backfield and Hilliard assumed the role as the No. 2 behind him.

Wilkins did end up getting into one game for Tennessee, but played only on special teams, seeing 13 snaps in the Week 18 win over the Houston Texans.

Looking ahead to this coming season, Wilkins is hoping to secure a spot on the 53-man roster, but is on the outside looking in going into training camp.

And that’s something ESPN’s Turron Davenport agrees with, as he named Wilkins a cut candidate for the Titans.

Wilkins signed with the Titans in hopes of locking down the backup role to Derrick Henry after D’Onta Foreman inked with the Panthers. But Tennessee has a logjam at running back, with Dontrell Hilliard, Hassan Haskins and Trenton Cannon as the favorites to land roster spots. Wilkins doesn’t have the special teams prowess Cannon has and isn’t the same threat out of the backfield as Hilliard. Haskins is a big back who brings physicality when Henry isn’t on the field and is a natural pass-catcher. Wilkins needs to have an outstanding training camp to win a roster spot.

The Titans have a pair of locks at the position in Henry and Hassan Haskins, who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. Also, Dontrell Hilliard is a near-lock in our minds after what he did in 2021.

If the Titans decide to carry three backs, there won’t be any room for Wilkins. If the Titans carry a fourth, Wilkins figures to lose out against Trenton Cannon, who provides extra value with his special teams prowess.

As Davenport rightly points out, Wilkins will have to really shine at training camp in order to make the 53-man roster. His best bet to stay in Nashville will be to latch on to Tennessee’s practice squad after getting cut.

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Titans re-signing DB Buster Skrine, RB Jordan Wilkins

The Titans are re-signing CB Buster Skrine and RB Jordan Wilkins.

The Tennessee Titans have reportedly re-signed two of their own free agents in cornerback Buster Skrine and running back Jordan Wilkins.

According to multiple reports, the Titans are reuniting with the two players, both of whom were brought in late in the season with Tennessee dealing with several injuries. Contract details are not yet know for either.

Skrine appeared in six games (three starts) for the Titans in 2021 and played fairly well. He should make the roster out of training camp and will provide a veteran depth option in the secondary behind Tennessee’s three projected starters, Caleb Farley, Kristian Fulton, and Elijah Molden.

A former fifth-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts, Wilkins played in one game for the Titans in 2021, but only played 13 special teams snaps. He’ll provide competition behind Derrick Henry in training camp.

Skrine and Wilkins are two of three signings the Titans made on Friday, as they also inked tight end Austin Hooper to a one-year deal.

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Tennessee Titans’ practice squad protections for Divisional Round

For once, the Titans might not need to dip into their practice squad for help.

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The Tennessee Titans have chosen the four players they will protect this week ahead of the divisional-round matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The four players are defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand, quarterback Kevin Hogan, center Daniel Munyer and running back Jordan Wilkins.

While the Titans have had to dip into their practice squad quite a bit in a year that has seen the team deal with a ridiculous amount of injuries, leading to their fielding an NFL record 91 players, Tennessee might not have to this week.

That’s because the team is the healthiest it has been all season long. Not only is Derrick Henry set to make his return, but the team had just three players on its injury report on Tuesday, and all of them practiced.

My, how far we’ve come.

Tennessee will return to action after a first-round bye when they host the Bengals on Saturday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

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Tennessee Titans designate Tory Carter to return from IR among 2 moves

The Titans made a pair of roster moves on Monday.

The Tennessee Titans made a pair of moves on Monday, one of which paves the way to provide a boost to their rushing attack for the playoff matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday.

The Titans announced they designated fullback Tory Carter to return from Injured Reserve. Carter suffered an ankle injury in the Week 14 win over Jacksonville and hasn’t seen the field since.

The move opens up the 21-day window for Carter to return to practice and be activated off the list. He won’t count towards the 53-man roster until that happens.

It has been a successful rookie season for Carter. After being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2021, he worked his way up the depth chart, surpassing fellow fullback, Khari Blasingame.

As No Flags Film on Twitter points out, the numbers show that Carter has been a plus as a lead blocker for Tennessee.

In addition to the move with Carter, the Titans also removed running back Jordan Wilkins from the practice squad COVID-19 list.

Tennessee will host Cincinnati at Nissan Stadium in the Divisional Round on Saturday, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. CST.

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