Tag: lil’jordan humphrey

Patriots make two roster moves, including release of preseason fan-favorite

The Patriots released two offensive players on Tuesday.

There was some roster movement on Tuesday with the New England Patriots announcing the releases of wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey from the 53-man roster and offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez from the practice squad.

Humphrey is obviously the name that stands out between the two considering he was getting playing time when the receiving corps was dealing with injuries. Things have obviously changed now with the returns of Jakobi Meyers and rookie second-round draft pick Tyquan Thornton.

The release of Gutierrez might actually signal the Patriots planning to sign Humphrey back to the practice squad. The 24-year-old receiver made some noise during the preseason, and he seems like a player they’d like to hold onto as an option down the line.

If not the Patriots, someone will surely be interested in Humphrey, who is unusually big for his position. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound wideout still has plenty of untapped potential that could possibly help the next team that signs him.

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Bill Belichick explains why Lil’Jordan Humphrey had more snaps than Kendrick Bourne

Bill Belichick detailed why Lil’Jordan Humphrey got more snaps than Kendrick Bourne against the Ravens

The rollercoaster involving New England Patriots wide receiver Kenrick Bourne continued in Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. Bourne saw the field for just 18 snaps, as the mystery surrounding his playing time kept on going.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick gave an explanation on the veteran wideout’s lack of playing time. He indicated it was more based on scheme fit. However, there is no denying that the wide receiver was a key part of the Patriots offense last year, when catching 55 passes for 800 yards and five touchdowns.

The 2022 season has been a different one for Bourne. He has only caught seven passes for 115 yards to this point in the year.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey playing 54 snaps was a big take away from Sunday’s game. Belichick elaborated on this on “The Greg Hill Show,” as transcribed by ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

Whatever the case may be, it sounds as though Bourne does not fit into the Patriots offensive plans currently. It will be interesting to see if he is in for a bigger role as the season goes on.

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Bill Belichick impressed with Lil’Jordan Humphrey’s versatility

Bill Belichick is intrigued by Swiss army knife playmaker Lil’Jordan Humphrey

New England Patriots wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey burst onto the scene this past preseason. Now, he is making his presence felt in the NFL, and coach Bill Belichick is taking notice.

He has one reception for 11 yards. That came against the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday. However, his contributions go far beyond the stat sheet. He has been able to bring a variety of skills to the table for New England. His blocking in particular has been one of the biggest aspects of his game.

Belichick is taking notice of all of these things. He has always liked players with versatility, and Humphrey fits the bill. The coach gave props to the wide receiver when he met with the media recently, as transcribed by Zack Cox of NESN.com.

“I think (he’s brought) some of the toughness that we were talking about,” said Belichick. “Made a big catch there on that second-and-long that got us into a third-and-short there in the last drive where Mac ended up scrambling. He’s had a lot of tough yards in preseason, made some tough catches over the middle, fought for some extra yardage. Run after the catch with the ball, blocked, played in the kicking game. Made some big plays for us in preseason, downing kicks and covering kicks. He’s an interesting guy.”

The Patriots’ passing attack has had a bumpy start to begin the 2022 season. Nevertheless, Humphrey is finding a way to contribute on the field. His preseason efforts certainly allowed him to state his case.

Ultimately, his efforts left a lasting impression on Belichick as well.

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Patriots place Ty Montgomery on IR and sign Lil’Jordan Humphrey to 53-man roster

Ty Montgomery goes on IR, while Lil’Jordan Humphrey gets a bump to the main roster.

The New England Patriots are placing running back Ty Montgomery on injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. In a corresponding move, the team will also be signing receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey to the 53-man roster.

Montgomery has been dealing with a knee injury since the Patriots’ preseason finale game against the Las Vegas Raiders. There were concerns that he wouldn’t be available for their Week 1 opener against the Miami Dolphins, but he made an appearance and scored the only touchdown of the game.

The Patriots already have a clear No. 1 and No. 2 option in the backfield with Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson, but things are starting to look pretty thin if one of the two go down with an injury.

Outside of J.J. Taylor, a replacement could come down between rookies Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris.

Meanwhile, Humphrey being elevated to the main roster is interesting considering he was one of the most productive players in the preseason. Not only could he contribute as a receiver, but he could also play a role on special teams.

Going on IR means the earliest Montgomery could return would be the Patriots’ Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.

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Many familiar faces return to practice after initially being cut by Patriots

Multiple preseason fan favorites were back at practice on Wednesday.

There were plenty of familiar faces back at practice after initially being cut by the New England Patriots on Tuesday.

Like the rest of the league, the Patriots went through the tough process of trimming their rosters down to 53 players. On Wednesday, many of the players on the cut list went on waivers with the chance of being claimed by another team.

The Patriots were fortunate that tight end Devin Asiasi was their only former player that got claimed on waivers. So that paved the way for a slew of fan favorites to return, including Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Tre Nixon, J.J. Taylor and LaBryan Ray.

Even veteran cornerback Terrance Mitchell was spotted at practice.

There was also a reported “mystery lineman” wearing a No. 68 jersey. Could it be Drew Desjarlais?

The Patriots will lean on some of their practice squad talent to fill roles at certain points throughout the season for a team that currently has more questions than answers.

At the very least, there are several players within the group that showed they were up for the challenge during the preseason slate.

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9 recently cut or waived players the Eagles should consider adding

Nine recently cut or waived players the Philadelphia Eagles should consider adding

The Eagles trimmed their roster down to 53 players on Tuesday, and as the team builds a practice squad, GM Howie Roseman could look to add more talent and personnel.

With Philadelphia focusing on the Lions, the team will likely have a few waiver wire targets that could land on the practice squad or replace a bubble player already on the roster.

With waiver claims starting at noon, here are nine recently cut players the Eagles should consider signing.

Patriots cut preseason standouts Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Tre Nixon

Patriots cut wideouts Humphrey and Nixon.

Receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Tre Nixon were two of the standout players on offense for the New England Patriots in the preseason. But it still couldn’t save them from Tuesday’s axe, ahead of the NFL’s roster cut deadline.

The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan reported the news on Humphrey, while Pro Football Focus’ Doug Kyed had the news on Nixon.

Humphrey is a bit of a surprise considering his unique physical gifts. Sure, he’s listed as a receiver, but his size has him more in line with a tight end at 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds.

There has been talk of the Patriots potentially using him in that role, too. It especially made sense with the team’s decision to cut both 2020 third-round draft picks Dalton Keene and Devin Asiasi. And the team was already down a couple of receivers with rookie Tyquan Thornton out for up to eight weeks and Kristian Wilkerson dealing with a concussion.

Humphrey could have essentially checked both the tight end and receiver box in one for the Patriots.

Meanwhile, Nixon was spent the preseason making plays like this.

It’s so long to Humphrey and Nixon, but it may not be goodbye. Both players are still eligible to return to the Patriots’ practice squad.

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No one turning more heads than Patriots WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey

Lil’Jordan Humphrey is making the right kind of noise in New England right now.

New England Patriots receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey was just another name in a crowded receivers room at the beginning of training camp.

That line of thinking has obviously changed after seeing the instant production from the former undrafted rookie out of Texas in the first two preseason games. He’s gone from a relative unknown to cracking ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10, along with leading conversations as a live underdog to make the 53-man roster.

The 24-year-old even managed to land a spot on Doug Farrar’s recent “Secret Superstars” list for Week 2 of the preseason.

Yes, the Humphrey hype is real.

He hauled in six receptions for 62 yards and one touchdown in the opener against the New York Giants and then followed that performance up with a game-high 71 receiving yards on five receptions against the Carolina Panthers.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick loves versatility, and Humphrey has it in spades. At 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, he has the size to line up outside and threaten a defense in jump ball situations. But he also has a willingness to work in the slot, where he could really benefit the Patriots over the middle of the field in play-action calls.

And have you seen him on special teams? He is absolutely incredible.

An argument could even be made that Humphrey is more of a joker tight end than anything else. In either case, the Patriots were without tight end Hunter Henry against the Carolina Panthers in last Friday’s preseason game, and they’re expecting rookie receiver Tyquan Thornton to miss upwards of 10 weeks with a collarbone injury.

Humphrey could be the right player in the right place at the right time. It isn’t because of dumb luck or anything like that, either. He is where he is because he’s been on the toughest path since day one.

As a former undrafted rookie free agent, he’s used to making believers out of non-believers by proving no spotlight is bright enough to outshine the heart of a man.

Secret Superstars for Week 2 of the 2022 NFL preseason

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar names the most impactful under-the-radar performers in Week 2 of the 2022 NFL preseason.

There are those who will tell you that preseason games don’t matter — they are useless to analyze, as you have starters going against starters in relatively vanilla schemes, or backups going against backups; most of whom won’t be playing in the NFL when the regular season starts.

When you peel back to the truth past that hyperbole, there’s a lot more to it than that. The story in the middle of that is a huge ball of players who are either trying to establish themselves as potential starters, or are trying to save their careers in short spaces of time. What you’re looking for is how people fit into teams and schemes, or not.

And that’s why preseason performances actually do matter — they set the tone for the regular season more often than you may think.

Here are our Secret Superstars for Week 2 of the full 2022 preseason — the guys who stood out above the rest. These are not recent first-round picks, or lead-pipe locks to make a roster; these are the guys fighting for every bit of starting opportunities.

Proof of Saints’ upgraded WR corps can be seen on other teams

Proof of the upgraded Saints WR corps can be seen on other teams. The Patriots like Ty Montgomery and Lil’Jordan Humphrey, while Easop Winston Jr. was just picked up by the Browns:

Don’t look now, but some familiar names are making noise around the NFL. A couple of former New Orleans Saints wide receivers have endeared themselves to New England Patriots fans after traveling up north in free agency, with receiver-running hybrid Ty Montgomery earning rare praise from Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

Belichick spoke highly of Montgomery at practice this week, telling Patriots.com’s Mike Dussault that, “Ty’s been a wonderful kid to have around. He’s a very smart, multi-skilled, multi-talented player. Looking forward to working with him throughout the course of the year on the team in multiple roles. I think there’s a lot of different things he can do, we’ll have to figure out how to combine him with other players on the field. It’s nice to be able to work with him.”

Montgomery played the most snaps on special teams in his career to hang on with New Orleans last season (totaling 180 reps in the kicking game), eventually working his way into the largest workload he’d seen on offense since the 2017 season (playing 300 snaps as a runner and receiver). Putting all of his skills on tape helped him secure a free agent contract with the New England Patriots, where he’s established a quick rapport with second-year quarterback Mac Jones while elbowing his way into New England’s running backs rotation.

But Montgomery isn’t the only former Saints receiver showing out in New England. His former teammate Lil’Jordan Humphrey also signed with the Patriots over the summer and made the most of his opportunity in their first preseason game, bagging 6 receptions (off of 8 targets) to gain 62 yards with a 20-yard touchdown catch to his credit. He’s got more work to do before securing a roster spot, but that’s as good a start as anyone could hope for.

And like Montgomery, Humphrey was a big part of the Saints’ depth at receiver. They kept him on the practice squad for several years and dressed him for 10 games last season. But after adding so much talent to the top of the roster, they’ve positioned themselves to look elsewhere for backups while these guys try their hand with new teams.

It’s still happening. Easop Winston Jr. was a surprise release during the first wave of roster cuts this week, and he immediately landed with the Cleveland Browns as a waiver wire pickup. Like Humphrey, Winston spent time on the Saints practice squad in recent years, and like Montgomery he had been playing on special teams to help his case for a roster spot. And just like them, the numbers game pushed him out of the picture, but he’s landed on his feet. He’ll have a chance to impress the Browns through their next two preseason games.

So look for this trend to keep up in the weeks ahead, with more roster cuts deadlines and exhibition games to navigate. The Saints won’t be able to keep everyone. It’s a safe bet that Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry, Chris Olave, and Deonte Harty are each locks to make the Week 1 squad, but things look dicey even for established receivers like Tre’Quan Smith and Marquez Callaway after that — to say nothing of players on the roster bubble like Kirk Merritt, Kevin White, Kawaan Baker, and undrafted rookies Dai’Jean Dixon (Nicholls) and Rashid Shaheed (Weber State). After a few years in the wilderness, the Saints are finally running so deep at receiver that other teams envy them.

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