marquez callaway – Syndication Server

Bucs sign veteran wide receiver to add depth to the position

General Manager Jason Licht is dipping into the free agent pool and signing a veteran presence to join the room to help the team out.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are having some health issues at a new position: wide receiver. General Manager Jason Licht is dipping into the free agent pool and signing a veteran to join the team.

The Bucs have signed wide receiver Marquez Callaway off of waivers on Wednesday. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN was the first to report the deal.

He joins Sterling Shepard, Mike Evans, and Chris Godwin in a receiving corp that has been great for Baker Mayfield during the 2024 season.

Callaway played college football in Tennessee and was selected for the 2020 Senior Bowl upon entering the NFL draft. He went undrafted but signed with the New Orleans Saints. He played for them for three seasons before jumping around to other teams, including the Denver Broncos, Las Vegas Raiders, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

He has 83 receptions, 1,069 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns in his professional career.

3 ex-Broncos players found new NFL homes on Tuesday

Ex-Broncos players Brandon McManus (Packers), Marquez Callaway (Bucs) and Ronnie Perkins (Cardinals) found new NFL homes on Tuesday.

A trio of former Denver Broncos players found new NFL homes on Tuesday.

Perhaps most notably, the Green Bay Packers signed kicker Brandon McManus. He served as Denver’s kicker from 2014-2022, helping the team win Super Bowl 50 following the 2015 season.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed wide receiver Marquez Callaway. He had a cup of coffee with the Broncos last summer, competing in training camp and preseason before being cut when Denver set its 53-man roster.

Finally, the Arizona Cardinals signed pass rusher Ronnie Perkins to their practice squad. Perkins spent part of the last two years with the Broncos before being released from injured reserve with an injury settlement last month.

Elsewhere on the ex-Denver player front, the Falcons promoted defensive lineman Matt Hennessy to their 53-man roster.

On the injury front, the Cardinals placed kicker Matt Prater (knee) on injured reserve and the Lions placed defensive lineman Kyle Peko (pec) on IR.

As for the Broncos, they cut two players on Tuesday, perhaps to make room for other players set to return from IR this week.

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A look back at Tennessee’s victory over Chattanooga in 2019

A look back at Tennessee’s first win in 2019 against Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee will host Chattanooga on Saturday to open the 2024 season.

Kickoff is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. EDT and SEC Network will televise the contest between the Vols and Mocs.

Tennessee leads the all time series, 40-2-2.

Each week, Vols Wire will look back at a memorable game against Tennessee’s upcoming opponent. This installment will revisit the Vols’ win over Chattanooga on Sept. 14, 2019 at Neyland Stadium.

Tennessee entered the game under head coach Jeremy Pruitt with an 0-2 record, having lost to Georgia State and BYU.

The Vols defeated Chattanooga, 45-0.

Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 7-of-8 passing attempts for 142 yards and three touchdowns for Tennessee.

The Vols forced four turnovers in the contest as Jeremy Banks, Nigel Warrior and Kenney Solomon III all recorded interceptions, while Darrell Taylor recovered a fumble by the Mocs.

Brandon Johnson also scored a touchdown after a blocked punt.

Ty Chandler led Tennessee in rushing yards (46) and Marquez Callaway led the Vols with 59 receiving yards.

PHOTOS: Tennessee football defeats Chattanooga in 2019

Saints bring back practice squad wide receiver Shaq Davis

Injuries have hit the New Orleans Saint shard at wide receiver. They’ve brought back Shaq Davis after their first preseason game:

The New Orleans Saints recently brought in a familiar face to potentially add some depth to an injury-plagued receiver room. Former Saints practice squad wideout Shaq Davis signed with the team Sunday following their 16-14 preseason victory against the Arizona Cardinals. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reports that wide receiver Marquez Callaway was let go in a corresponding roster move.

Davis was signed by the Saints as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina State last season, where he spent the year as a valued member of the teams practice squad. At seasons end, Davis was brought back on a reserve/future deal with the Saints and was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles, who just recently waived him on Aug. 7.

At 6-foot-5 and 216 pounds, Davis would provide as a potential big target for the Saints if he were to enter into the mix at receiver. In Davis’ preseason games with New Orleans last year, you were able to see the flashes in his game when it came to contested catch situations as well as providing some speed on the perimeter for a guy of his stature. The contested catch, possession receiver is something that the team lacks at the moment outside of second-year player A.T. Perry.

And with the amount of injuries that the team has sustained at that position, Davis should have more than enough opportunity to make some hay in this final stretch before the regular season..

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Cut by Steelers, Marquez Callaway flew home and learned he was joining Saints

Cut by the Steelers this week, Marquez Callaway took a flight home and learned he was joining the Saints when he disembarked:

It’s a good thing he already had his luggage. Marquez Callaway was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday, July 30, and caught a flight home to Las Vegas the next day. Four hours in the air later, he told FOX 8’s Garland Gillen, he disembarked and took a call from his agent — who told him the New Orleans Saints were interested in bringing him in for the rest of training camp.

So Callaway turned right around and boarded another flight bound for Los Angeles, joining the Saints at UC Irvine in time for their Aug. 2 practice session. He picked the No. 82 jersey after previously wearing Nos. 12, 1, and 10.

“I’ve got kind of a tie to this city, so the conversation wasn’t bad,” Callaway told reporters after practice on Friday. “They called me and told me they needed me, and come here.”

Callaway spent the 2023 season on the Saints practice squad, and he only joined the Steelers back in January, but he returned to a very different team from the one he knew. This is his third stint with the Saints and he’s met his fourth position coach. Keith Williams was hired this spring, replacing Kodi Burns, who was hired after Curtis Johnson took over when Ronald Curry moved to work with the quarterbacks. Longtime teammates like Michael Thomas and Keith Kirkwood aren’t in the room anymore. Neither are youngsters he took under his wing like Shaq Davis. It’s Klint Kubiak writing his playbook, not Pete Carmichael.

He’s facing a tough path to a roster spot, but at this stage in the summer all guys like Callaway can hope for is the opportunity to make his case: “Nothing is guaranteed, still got to work, still got to compete out here. That’s what everybody is doing out here. As long as we get a chance, go out there and show them, all we can do is pray and show what we can do.”

Four receivers are dealing with injuries right now, which prompted the Saints to re-sign Callaway and bring in Samson Nacua. Cedrick Wilson Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown, and rookie draft pick Bub Means were each banged up this week and missed practice. Another rookie, Jermaine Jackson, left Friday’s practice early with an undisclosed injury. It’s a good bet that Callaway could get on the field in next week’s preseason game with the Arizona Cardinals. And if he can make a couple plays? At that point it’s anyone’s guess.

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2 ex-Broncos players have signed with new teams

Former Broncos DL Mike Purcell signed with the Patriots and WR Marquez Callaway signed with Saints.

Two former Denver Broncos players found news homes on Thursday.

Former Broncos defensive lineman Mike Purcell signed with the New England Patriots, and ex-Denver wide receiver Marquez Callaway signed with the New Orleans Saints.

Purcell, 33, played for the Broncos from 2019-2023, totaling 166 tackles, 14 quarterback hits and 2.5 sacks in 65 games (37 starts). He played 462 snaps on defense last season. Denver signed defensive lineman Malcolm Roach during free agency and acquired John Franklin-Myers in a trade with the New York Jets this spring, beefing up their defensive line.

Callaway, 26, went to training camp with the Broncos last summer after spending the first three years of his career with the Saints. He spent time with the Las Vegas Raiders and New Orleans after being cut by Denver last year. Callaway was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this week and has now returned to the Saints for the third time in his career.

There are now four ex-Broncos players who remain unsigned free agents: safety Justin Simmons, cornerback K’Waun Williams, offensive tackle Cam Fleming and running back Dwayne Washington.

Broncos unsigned free agents

DB Justin Simmons (30)

CB K’Waun Williams (32)

OT Cam Fleming (31)

RB Dwayne Washington (30)

The most notable unsigned former Denver player is Simmons, a four-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler. We’ll see if Simmons lands with a new team before the regular season begins in September.

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After series of injuries, Saints bring back a familiar face at wide receiver

The New Orleans Saints re-signed Marquez Callaway amid a series of injuries at wide receiver. He’s back for his third stint with the team:

The New Orleans Saints announced a couple of roster moves on Thursday, most notably that they had re-signed Marquez Callaway. His return comes amid a series of injuries at wide receiver. Veteran wideouts Cedrick Wilson Jr. and Equanimeous St. Brown as well as rookie draft pick Bub Means missed Wednesday’s practice after getting banged up. The Saints needed to restock.

And so Callaway is back for his third stint with the team, his first try in Klint Kubiak’s offense. The Saints chose to let him reach free agency after his practice squad contract expired back in January, and he initially signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but they let him go on Tuesday.

Callaway first joined the Saints as a rookie free agent out of Tennessee, helping out in the return game and playing a bit part on offense in 2020. He broke out with 46 catches for 698 yards in 2021, scoring six touchdown receptions, but he hasn’t returned to those heights. In the meantime he’s followed Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos and tried out in Pittsburgh (as well as with the Las Vegas Raiders last summer).

The Saints also waived backup tight end Tommy Hudson with an injury designation to make room for Callaway. He’s likely headed for injured reserve should he clear waivers. Juwan Johnson, the starter, is still on the physically unable to perform list leaving Foster Moreau and Dallin Holker to handle most of the snaps in passing drills.

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Two other teams sign a couple of former Saints wide receivers

The Saints only have a handful of receivers signed for 2024, and players they brought into training camp last year are getting snapped up by other teams:

Do the New Orleans Saints have a problem at wide receiver? Maybe, maybe not. Not in the sense that they don’t have good players: Chris Olave and A.T. Perry are returning for 2024, and Rashid Shaheed will come back on an exclusive-rights free agent deal, too.

But Michael Thomas is on the way out; his contract is set up for him to be released as a post-June 1 cut in March. And at some point the Saints need to start signing players to fill out practice reps at training camp. New Orleans brought a dozen receivers into camp last summer and right now they only have two (technically three). Of those twelve receivers, three are still with the Saints (including Thomas), three are on other teams, and six are free agents (including Shaheed, whose only CBA-allowed option is to re-sign with the Saints). A thirteenth receiver, Jontre Kirklin, arrived late in camp and is currently competing with the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas.

And some of those players who competed in camp last year are getting snapped up by other teams. The New England Patriots signed former seventh-round draft pick Kawaan Baker to a reserve/future deal this week, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. So did Tre’Quan Smith, who is going to the Detroit Lions, per KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson.

Several practice squad receivers were not retained after the 2023 season. Fan-favorite rookie Shaquan Davis left for the Philadelphia Eagles. Longtime backup Marquez Callaway signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. There aren’t many familiar names left out there.

Ideally the Saints would add enough quality players to keep them on the practice squad if they’re in consideration at all. But that’s not the point. They could run into trouble relying on a ton of undrafted rookies to fill out the depth chart. Odds are they’ll sign some veterans in free agency in March, though it’s possible a couple of qualifying players could sign reserve/future deals in the near future.

Why the delay? The Saints don’t have a wide receivers coach right now. They know that Klint Kubiak will be their offensive coordinator, but missing a position coach could complicate things. They need a clear vision of what to look for in evaluating new additions. Until Kubiak is officially hired and a receivers coach named, this process may continue to draw out.

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Steelers sign former Saints wide receiver Marquez Callaway

The Steelers signed former Saints wide receiver Marquez Callaway to a reserve/future deal:

There’s one member of the 2023 New Orleans Saints playing elsewhere in 2024. The Pittsburgh STeelers announced that they signed wide receiver Marquez Callaway to a reserve/future deal; Callaway was one of three players on the Saints practice squad who were not brought back after the season ended.

Callaway, 25, totaled just 28 snaps on offense in three games this year without drawing a single target. He impressed with 46 receptions for 698 yards and 6 touchdown catches for the Saints back in 2021 but has not returned to those heights. He followed Sean Payton to the Denver Broncos last year but couldn’t make the team.

Now he’ll be trying his hand in Pittsburgh. As for the Saints, they have just three receivers under contract for 2024 in Chris Olave, A.T. Perry, and Michael Thomas, who is likely to be released in a procedural move in March. All-Pro returns specialist Rashid Shaheed is an exclusive rights free agent and is expected to return on a minimum salary, not being eligible for a real extension until 2025. Lynn Bowden Jr. (restricted) and Keith Kirkwood are also Saints free agent receivers of note.

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Saints bring up reinforcements on offense for Week 15 vs. Giants

The Saints brought up reinforcements on offense for Week 15’s Giants game, elevating RT Cameron Erving and WR Marquez Callaway from the practice squad:

Some help is on the way for the New Orleans Saints offense. The Saints brought up reinforcements for Week 15’s game with the New York Giants, elevating right tackle Cameron Erving and wide receiver Marquez Callaway from the practice squad.

And they could both be active on Sunday. The Saints listed starting right tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee) and their leading wide receiver Chris Olave (ankle) as questionable for this matchup due to injuries, and it’s possible both of them could be sidelined. Ramczyk was limited at practice throughout the week and Olave didn’t participate at all.

Erving started in relief of Ramczyk once already this season, during the Saints’ prime-time loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, so he’s ready to go again if needed. Callaway’s status is less certain. He’s been brought up from the practice squad twice already in the wake of a knee injury for Michael Thomas, so he may or may not have much to do with Olave’s situation. At any rate, we won’t get clarification on Olave or Ramczyk until the inactive report comes out 90 minutes before Sunday’s kickoff. Stay tuned.

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