Tag: max pircher

Ex-Lions offensive lineman signs with the Seahawks

Ex-Lions offensive lineman Max Pircher signs with the Seahawks

The Detroit Lions have officially lost their International Player Pathways program player from last season. Offensive lineman Max Pircher has signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent.

Pircher, from Italy, spent the 2023 campaign in Detroit as part of the NFL’s IPP, designed to give international players an increased opportunity in the league. After playing throughout the preseason, Pircher was waived and subsequently signed on the Lions’ practice squad. Detroit did not tender him a reserve/future contract after the season.

This opens the door for the Lions to add a different player from the IPP. Players in the program do not count against the roster limits.

Predicting the 22 remaining Detroit Lions roster cutdowns

The Detroit Lions have 75 players on the active roster as of noon Monday and have to be down to 53 by 4 p.m. Tuesday

It’s almost time for the Detroit Lions initial 53-man roster to be set for the 2023 regular season. The team has already trimmed several players from the 90-man preseason limit, but there are more cutdowns to be made.

As of 12 p.m. ET on Monday, the Lions have 75 players still on the active roster. That leaves 22 more players to be removed from the active roster before 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Note that CB Emmanuel Moseley and QB Hendon Hooker are not currently on the active roster, so they don’t factor in. WR Jameson Williams begins serving his suspension after the cutdowns, so he’s not involved either. 

12 players projected to make the Lions practice squad

These 12 players from the Lions’ final preseason game roster should make the team’s 16-man practice squad

One of the first orders of business for the Detroit Lions following the conclusion of the roster cutdowns and initial waiver claim period is to form the 16-man practice squad. Teams can start signing players to the practice squad after Wednesday, August 30th at 12 p.m. ET.

Most teams prefer to stock the practice squad with players who were on the roster for the final preseason game. The Lions did that last year and are expected to do so once again.

Here are 12 Lions expected to be cut by Tuesday’s 4 p.m. deadline who should make the practice squad.

Lions sign OL Max Pircher as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program

Pircher is from Italy and spent the last two years with the Rams as part of the program

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The Detroit Lions have added another player to the offensive line depth chart. This one won’t count against the 90-man roster limit, however.

The team announced on Monday it has signed Max Pircher, who is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program. Originally from Italy, Pircher played for the Los Angeles Rams in the last two seasons after joining them via the same program.

Pircher joins tight end Patrick Murtaugh as international players on the Lions roster entering minicamp. Murtaugh, from Australia, signed earlier this offseason via the International Player Pathway program as well. Players in the IPP are able to practice with the team but do not count against the 90-man active roster limit until the regular season starts. If they are signed to the active roster, they do then count.

Murtaugh will not be with the Lions after an injury.

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Rams gain roster flexibility with Italian OT Max Pircher thanks to rule change

The Rams can now elevate Max Pircher to the active roster thanks to a rule change by the NFL.

The Los Angeles Rams welcomed Max Pircher to their 90-man roster this summer by way of the NFL’s International Player Development Program as he made his way from Italy to the United States. Teams are permitted to carry an international player on the practice squad without taking up a spot on it, so it’s a win-win situation for both the team and the player.

Pircher is by no means ready to be a starter or even an immediate backup with the Rams, but with a year of learning and practice, he could develop into someone who sticks in the NFL. If the Rams do feel he’s capable of contributing, they will now have added roster flexibility.

The league announced Thursday that teams will be permitted to sign or elevate players from the IPDP to the active roster so long as the international exemption has been removed.

Previously, he was ineligible to be activated to the 53-man roster this season.

Pircher still has a lot to learn, but according to Rob Havenstein, he’s improved by leaps and bounds compared to where he was at in OTAs. Havenstein has become a mentor to Pircher and loves that the NFL has the international program to help these players develop.

“He asks a lot of questions. That’s a good thing,” Havenstein said this week. “It’s a really cool program with him having so little football experience. He’s obviously behind the eight ball a little bit when it comes to the NFL, but he’s a guy who wants to learn, he asks questions and there are no dumb questions out there so whatever he asks, I’ll answer and give him my two cents. Or if I feel like I can’t answer it in a certain way, I can always send him to the godfather in ‘Whit’, so ‘Whit’ will impart some wisdom on him. But Max is an awesome dude. It’s a really cool thing. He’s making leaps and bounds since OTAs, just seeing the way he’s moving his body as an O-lineman, it’s been fun to watch. He’s a good kid.”

It’s unlikely the Rams will activate Pircher this year, but at least now they have the flexibility to do so if needed.

Watch: Italian OT Max Pircher gets call from Sean McVay welcoming him to Rams

The Rams added Max Pircher after the draft as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program.

In the days following the 2021 NFL draft, the Los Angeles Rams added a total of 10 undrafted free agents and one international player. They brought in Italian offensive lineman Max Pircher as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program, who they will be able to carry as an extra player on the practice squad in 2021.

If he takes the exempt spot on the practice squad, the Rams won’t be able to promote him this year, but they can choose to give him a regular spot on the practice squad to allow him to be elevated.

The Italian Federation of American Football, or FIDAF, shared a video of Pircher getting a call from Sean McVay and offensive line coach Kevin Carberry, welcoming him to the team.

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McVay told Pircher that he expects him to be a nimble athlete from his days as a soccer and handball player, and that seems evident in the brief clips shared in the video. Pircher is 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, primarily playing tackle on the football field.

Rams sign offensive lineman from Italy, is eligible for extra practice squad spot

Max Pircher will be eligible for the practice squad and will allow the Rams to carry an extra player in 2021.

The Los Angeles Rams continue to look in different places – besides in the draft, of course – as they attempt to find offensive linemen. Their latest addition comes from Italy as part of the NFL’s International Pathway program.

The league announced Tuesday that the Rams have signed offensive lineman Max Pircher from Italy, who they will carry on the practice squad in 2021 thanks to an exemption that allows teams to carry an additional player for one year.

Pircher has played right tackle, though it’s not clear where he will train with the Rams.

Here is some background on Pircher, via the NFL:

After attending a Swarco Raiders football game in Austria, Pircher tried out for the same team that introduced him to the game. He tried out positions such as tight end and defensive end before settling on offensive line. During the 2019 season, Pircher was named the starting right tackle for the Swarco Raiders and played on the Italian national team. Pircher has since moved on to play for the Hildesheim Invaders in Germany, where he balances playing football and attending school.

Pircher carries plenty of size, being 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds. He previously played handball and hadn’t yet taken up football until a little more than two years ago.

The Rams can carry Pircher on their roster until the end of training camp. After that, he will be eligible to join the practice squad on exemption.