Tag: Juwann Winfree

Colts sign 17 players to the practice squad

Here’s a look at the initial practice squad for the Colts.

The Indianapolis Colts have made their initial roster cuts to get down to 53 players, and now they’ve filled out their practice squad.

The team announced Wednesday that they signed 16 players to the practice squad, and it was reported by Jordan Schultz of The Score that they added an extra player.

It should be noted that the Colts essentially have 17 spots because Marcel Dabo gives the team a roster exemption as a part of the International Player Pathway Program.

Here are the specifics of the practice squad:

  • 16 players
  • Up to 10 players with two or fewer accrued seasons
  • Up to six veterans (no limit on how many years in the league)
  • Practice squad players may be elevated for gamedays a maximum of three times in a season

There will be constant movement on the practice squad throughout the season, but this is what the initial group looks like.

Here’s a look at the Colts initial practice squad:

Predicting final wave of Colts roster cuts before deadline

The Colts must get the roster down to 53 players today. Here’s our prediction on the final wave of cuts.

The Indianapolis Colts are already on their way to trimming the roster down to 53 players before Tuesday’s deadline at 4:00 p.m. ET, but there are still several more moves to make.

Entering Tuesday morning, the Colts have parted ways with 14 players. You can keep up with the latest updates throughout the day via our tracker. We will continue to update the tracker as the news flies in Tuesday.

You also can check out our final 53-man roster projection, which will coincide with this list below. In regards to the Jonathan Taylor situation, we left him off this list even with the potential of a trade taking place. There simply isn’t enough information as of this writing to know what will happen.

With the deadline quickly approaching, here’s our prediction for the final wave of roster cuts for the Colts:

8 toughest cuts from our final Colts’ 53-man roster projection

These were the toughest cuts from our Colts’ final roster projection.

The Indianapolis Colts have until Tuesday afternoon to cut the roster down to 53 players as the preseason officially comes to an end.

This is no easy task, and there will be plenty of surprises along the way. After three preseason games and joint practices with two separate teams, the Colts have to use all the information they’ve gathered to compile the best collection of 53 players moving forward.

The process, of course, doesn’t end with the initial 53-man roster, and it’s likely that changes will come immediately the day after through the waiver wire.

As we went through with our final roster projection ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, there were some difficult choices made regarding players on the roster bubble. It could be due to the fact that they played well in a crowded room or they didn’t show quite enough to be worthy of a spot.

Here’s a look at the eight toughest cuts we made in our final roster projection for the Colts:

Madden 24: Launch ratings for Colts WRs, safeties

Check out the Madden NFL 24 launch ratings for Colts WRs and safeties.

With training camp right around the corner for the majority of teams, EA Sports has started unveiling “Madden NFL 24” launch ratings ahead of the release date for the game.

The first group to be revealed in these launch ratings were the wide receivers and safeties. Only one member of the Colts at these positions was given a rating above 80, which was wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.

Here’s a look at the launch ratings for the wide receivers and safeties on the Colts in “Madden NFL 24:”

Colts sign WR Juwann Winfree

The Colts signed WR Juwann Winfree.

The Indianapolis Colts signed free-agent wide receiver Juwann Winfree and waived defensive end Guy Thomas, the team announced Tuesday.

Winfree, 26, was a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos out of Colorado. He played in three games during his rookie season and was waived before the 2020 campaign.

Winfree spent the last three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, appearing in 12 games without making a start. He has nine receptions for 75 yards on 17 targets in his career.

Thomas joined the Colts roster this offseason as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2023 NFL draft.

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Former Packers WR Juwann Winfree signs with Colts

Former Packers WR Juwann Winfree, who played in 12 games for Green Bay between 2020 and 2022, signed with the Colts.

Wide receiver Juwann Winfree, who played in 12 games for the Green Bay Packers over the last three seasons, signed with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday.

Winfree was originally a sixth-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2019. He arrived in Green Bay on the practice squad in October of 2020 and eventually saw action in 12 regular-season games, playing 186 snaps on offense and 83 on special teams for the Packers between 2020 and 2022. He also appeared in one playoff game in 2021.

Winfree caught nine passes for 75 yards. He appeared in three games as a practice squad elevation (Week 1 at Vikings, Week 3 at Bucs, Week 6 vs. Jets) last season, catching one pass on four targets for 17 yards.

The Packers did not retain Winfree on a futures contract following the conclusion of the 2022 season, making him a free agent.

Packers elevate WR Juwann Winfree from practice squad to gameday roster for Week 6

The Packers elevated receiver Juwann Winfree from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 6 against the Jets.

The Green Bay Packers elevated receiver Juwann Winfree from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 6. The move was announced Saturday, making Winfree available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday’s showdown with the New York Jets.

The Packers need the extra depth at receiver, where rookie Christian Watson is dealing with a hamstring injury and is already ruled out for Sunday. Amari Rodgers has only played five snaps from scrimmage, and rookie Samori Toure hasn’t been active in any of the five games to start his NFL career.

Winfree has previously played in two other games for the Packers this season, catching one pass on three targets for 17 yards over 22 offensive snaps. He’s also played 22 special teams snaps.

Over the last three seasons, Winfree has played 173 offensive snaps and 77 special teams snaps over 11 games with the Packers. He caught eight passes for 58 yards (five first downs, two fumbles) last season.

On Sunday vs. the Jets, Winfree could operate as the No. 4 receiver behind Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs and Randall Cobb.

The Packers did not elevate an outside linebacker from the practice squad, suggesting Rashan Gary will be available despite a questionable labeling on Sunday.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Winfree is now out of elevations and would need to be signed to the 53-man roster to contribute to the Packers again this season. On Monday, he will revert back to the practice squad.

Elevations by week

Week 1: WR Juwann Winfree, S Micah Abernathy
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor
Week 3: WR Juwann Winfree
Week 4: CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: None
Week 6: WR Juwann Winfree

Packers elevate WR Juwann Winfree from practice squad for Week 3

The Packers elevated WR Juwann Winfree from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 3 against the Buccaneers.

For the second time this season, the Green Bay Packers elevated wide receiver Juwann Winfree from the practice squad to the gameday roster. The move was announced on Saturday, making Winfree available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday’s showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Winfree was previously elevated to the gameday roster for Week 1, when he played nine snaps and made one catch for 17 yards in the Packers’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Packers need the extra depth at receiver entering Sunday. Sammy Watkins (hamstring) was placed on injured reserve, and Randall Cobb (illness) and Christian Watson (hamstring) are both questionable to play.

If Cobb and Watson don’t play, the Packers will be down to Allen Lazard, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure and Amari Rodgers at receiver. Toure has been inactive each of the first two weeks, while Rodgers – the team’s primary returner – has played just one snap from scrimmage in two games.

Winfree has earned the trust of Aaron Rodgers and would be capable of playing snaps on offense and special teams in a pinch on Sunday in Tampa Bay.

Last season, Winfree played in seven games, catching eight of 13 targets for 58 yards. He created five first downs but also fumbled twice.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Winfree will be down to only one more elevation following Week 3. On Monday, he will revert back to the practice squad.

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Packers signing WR Juwann Winfree to practice squad

The Packers are signing wide receiver Juwann Winfree to the practice squad.

The Green Bay Packers are returning wide receiver Juwann Winfree on the practice squad, according to agent Mike McCartney.

Winfree was released during final cutdowns on Tuesday. He cleared waivers on Wednesday, opening the door for a return to Green Bay.

Winfree, 25, caught eight passes for 58 yards for the Packers last season. For the second straight year, he’ll start the season on the practice squad.

The Packers kept rookie Samori Toure on the 53-man roster as the seventh receiver, but both Winfree and Travis Fulgham were retained on the practice squad as insurance at the position.

Winfree caught seven passes on 15 targets over three games during the preseason.

The Packers announced 12 signings to the practice squad on Tuesday, and kicker Ahmed Ramiz and cornerback Benjie Franklin are expected to be signed.

Winfree’s signing leaves one open spot on the 16-player practice squad, possibly for safety Micah Abernathy, who was released to make room for safety Rudy Ford on Wednesday.

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Packers releasing wide receiver Juwann Winfree

A mild surprise: The Packers are releasing wide receiver Juwann Winfree during final roster cutdowns.

Here’s one of the early surprises of roster cutdowns in Green Bay on Tuesday: The Packers are releasing wide receiver Juwann Winfree, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Winfree, a favorite of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, caught seven of 15 targets for 75 yards over 113 preseason snaps this summer.

Once released, Winfree will go on waivers. If unclaimed, he could return to Green Bay on the practice squad.

The Packers have as many as six roster locks at receiver and may end up keeping rookie Samori Toure – who led the team in receptions this preseason – as the No. 7 receiver.

Winfree has been in Green Bay since the 2020 season. He was a sixth-round pick of the Broncos in 2019. A shoulder injury derailed a strong start to his training camp in 2021, but he stayed healthy and gave himself a real shot at making the team this summer.

The presence of Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Amari Rodgers made the numbers tough at wide receiver.

Last season, Winfree caught eight passes for 58 yards and fumbled twice over seven games.

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