Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here’s who’s sticking around from the practice squad.
With the Miami Dolphins 2022 season officially coming to a close on Sunday, the restrictions that force teams to keep their active rosters at 53 players are lifted, allowing teams to sign up to 90 players.
Once a team is eliminated they can sign a number of players to reserve/future contracts which adds them to the active roster through the spring and summer.
On Monday, the Dolphins signed these seven players from their practice squad to such deals:
Browns claim Saints DT Josiah Bronson off of waivers, OL Will Clapp re-signs with Saints practice squad
Well that may have backfired. The New Orleans Saints waived rookie defensive tackle Josiah Bronson from the 53-man roster earlier this week, likely intending to re-sign him to the practice squad (where he started the 2021 season before being promoted).
But the Cleveland Browns saw his name on the waiver wire and acted quickly to claim him, costing the Saints one of their high-priority undrafted free agent signings. Bronson played 156 snaps across five games with New Orleans after a long college career spanning stops at Temple and Washington.
So how big of a loss is this? Bronson was a backup in the interior line rotation behind David Onyemata and Shy Tuttle, getting in the mix alongside other reserves like Christian Ringo, Albert Huggins, and prior to his injury Malcolm Roach. So it’s not like he was an every-down playmaker. If Bronson had met expectations he would haven’t been waived to begin with.
Additionally, the Saints re-signed offensive lineman Will Clapp to their practice squad. He was replaced as the sixth man against the New York Jets by veteran pickup James Carpenter. Despite some positional versatility as a swing guard-center, the Saints must like other players better and want to keep Clapp in the fold, just a couple spots lower on the depth chart.
If it sounds like Clapp’s name has come up often this year, it’s because that’s true — he’s been signed, waived, re-signed, deactivated, and reactivated from various reserve lists a total of seven times since Jan. 2022, and 20 times since the Saints first picked him in the 2020 NFL draft out of LSU. Like practice squad reserves J.T. Barrett and Andy Tanner before him, Clapp has seen his name involved in a lot of transactions as New Orleans completes various roster moves. For now, the important thing is that he’s still wearing black and gold.
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With a few defensive linemen on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the Browns add a big guy in the middle via waivers:
There is so much to be decided for the Cleveland Browns roster between now and their Saturday matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders. A few players could return from the reserve/COVID-19 list. A few players could return after missing a game or games due to injury. A few players could be added from outside the organization or from the practice squad.
From outside the team, the Browns added a defensive tackle today. The team announced that they have claimed Josiah Bronson off waivers from the New Orleans Sants.
Bronson was not drafted in the 2021 NFL draft but caught on with the Saints. He played in six games for New Orleans with seven tackles credited to his name.
At 6’3″, 300 pounds, Bronson is a massive interior defensive lineman out of Washington. While he doesn’t show a lot of ability as a pass rusher, he is stout at the point of attack and gives Cleveland some depth.
With Malik McDowell, Takk McKinley and Ifeadi Odenigbo on the COVID-19 list, the defensive line is missing some big pieces. The team is hoping Bronson can help with some of that as early as this week against the Raiders.
ICYMI: Saints waive Josiah Bronson and Will Clapp, open a practice squad spot
The New Orleans Saints completed several roster moves before their Week 15 practices got into full swing ahead of Sunday’s prime-time game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, releasing two backups from the 53-man roster as well as one of several cornerbacks on the practice squad. With three other players still in the league’s COVID-19 protocols, it leaves New Orleans with 48 of 53 roster spots and 15 of 16 practice squad openings filled.
Offensive lineman Will Clapp was waived on Monday and cleared waivers; he’s eligible to return to the practice squad if the Saints choose to bring him back. He was quickly replaced by veteran free agent James Carpenter (who signed with the Saints just last week), who was elevated from the practice squad ahead of Clapp and filled in as the Saints’ sixth offensive lineman against the New York Jets.
Additionally, the Saints waived rookie defensive tackle Josiah Bronson on Tuesday. Bronson had been playing sparingly in the interior line rotation behind David Onyemata, Shy Tuttle, Christian Ringo, and Albert Huggins. Malcolm Roach remains on the practice squad if Bronson doesn’t clear waivers or if the Saints choose not to bring him back.
Another player recently let go was cornerback Dylan Mabin — but since he was released from the practice squad he immediately becomes a free agent and will not have to test waivers. He hadn’t gotten many looks this season and was joined on the practice squad by defensive backs Jordan Miller, KeiVarae Russell, and Bryce Thompson.
So more moves will be on the way as these vacancies are filled, most likely with players returning from the COVID-19 list. But let’s keep an eye out for possible reinforcements coming off of injured reserve in the weeks ahead with tight end Adam Trautman and defensive ends Payton Turner and Tanoh Kpassagnon eligible to return later this season.
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Saints officially send Jameis Winston to injured reserve among final Week 9 roster moves
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The New Orleans Saints filed a series of last-minute roster moves before their Week 9 kickoff with the Atlanta Falcons, which included the anticipated move to send Jameis Winston to injured reserve. Here’s what you need to know from Saturday’s update to the daily NFL transactions wire:
