Tag: Nate Orchard

One edge rusher for the Eagles in every round of 2023 NFL Draft

We’re looking at one edge rusher for the Philadelphia Eagles in every round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

The NFL draft will kick off in less than a week, and as the world descends on Kansas City, the Eagles will look to reload at critical positions.

Philadelphia had one of the NFL’s defensive lines in 2022. Still, Fletcher Cox and Brandon Graham return, but Ndamukong Suh, Linval Joseph, Robert Quinn, and Javon Hargrave all exited via free agency.

With the NFL’s top offense returning with a few new additions, Howie Roseman will undoubtedly look to upgrade the defensive line via the NFL Draft.

With the draft just six days away, here’s one edge rusher the Eagles in every round.

Washington brings back Nate Orchard for defensive depth

Nate Orchard spent parts of two seasons with Washington and his best performance was a forgetful one for Ron Rivera — then head coach of the Panthers.

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The Washington Football Team desperately needs defensive help for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Washington currently has 10 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, nine of which are on the defensive side of the ball.

Remember, Washington is already without numerous injured stars on both sides of the ball for the season.

To get some help on defense, Washington turned to a familiar face on Tuesday, signing linebacker/defensive end Nate Orchard. Orchard spent parts of the 2019 and 2020 seasons with Washington before his release last November. Washington signed Orchard, 28, off Green Bay’s practice squad.

Orchard is best remembered in Washington for his performance in a 2019 win over the Carolina Panthers, where he recorded a sack and recovered a fumble in the game that cost Ron Rivera his job with the Panthers.

A former second-round pick in 2015, Orchard has spent time in 10 different NFL organizations over the course of his seven-year career. Washington is the first organization to employ Orchard twice.

Circumstances are different this time around for Orchard. He has an opportunity to play meaningful snaps on a team competing for a playoff spot. That’s a far cry from where Washington was in 2019.

Packers sign veteran edge rusher Nate Orchard to practice squad

Orchard, a second-round pick of the Browns in 2015, joined the Packers practice squad on Thursday, providing much-needed depth at edge rusher.

In desperate need of help at edge rusher, the Green Bay Packers dipped into the pool of available outside linebackers and signed veteran Nate Orchard to the practice squad on Thursday.

Orchard, a second-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2015, has played in 46 career games, producing 85 tackles, six sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits an interception, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

The Packers are dealing with a crisis at outside linebacker. Za’Darius Smith, Whitney Mercilus, Chauncey Rivers and Randy Ramsey are all on injured reserve, and Jonathan Garvin was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list on Wednesday. Rashan Gary is still dealing with an elbow injury and has an uncertain playing status for Sunday.

The Packers have only Tipa Galeai as a healthy option behind starter Preston Smith on the 53-man roster. La’Darius Hamilton and now Orchard are available on the practice squad, and both could be elevated to the gameday roster on Sunday.

Oren Burks can also chip in and play snaps on the edge.

The Packers released running back Kerrith Whyte from the practice squad to make room for Orchard.

Between the 2019 and 2020 seasons, Orchard played eight games with the Washington Football Team. He has not been on the field in a regular season game during the 2021 season.

Orchard will wear No. 43 for the Packers.

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Tennessee Titans waive 3 players in Monday roster moves

The Titans made a trio of minor moves on Monday.

The Tennessee Titans made three roster moves on Monday, waiving tight end Parker Hesse, long snapper Matt Orzech and defensive end Nate Orchard, all of whom spent time with the team either on the practice squad or active roster during the 2020 campaign.

Orzech was originally signed off the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad last season as an insurance policy at long snapper.

Orchard was signed by Tennessee in January to provide some depth on the practice squad. While he didn’t see any action in Nashville, Orchard did see three games with Washington earlier in the season.

Hesse was one of several tight ends on Tennessee’s current roster and figured to have a chance to compete for a spot on the 53-man squad but was always a long shot to due his limitations in the passing game.

All three players figured to be long shots to make the roster, so none of these moves are particularly surprising.

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Tennessee Titans bring in OLB Nate Orchard for a visit

Orchard last played in a game this season with the Washington Football Team.

After placing practice squad outside linebacker Tuzar Skipper on Injured Reserve, which will knock him out for the next three games at least, the Tennessee Titans are seriously thin at the position.

In response to that, Tennessee is taking a look at outside linebacker Nate Orchard, whom the team brought in for a visit on Tuesday, according to the league’s transactions wire.

Orchard was a second-round pick of the Cleveland Browns back in 2015 and has played for four different teams, including the Browns, Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Football Team.

The 27-year-old last appeared in a game this season with Washington, where he took part in three contests before being poached from its practice squad by the Houston Texans. He didn’t appear in any games for Houston, though.

In 46 career games (13 starts), the 6-foot-3, 251-pound Utah product has six sacks, 85 combined tackles (51 solo, 11 for loss), 16 QB hits, six passes defensed and one interception.

As it stands now, the Titans have just two outside linebackers on their roster in Harold Landry and Derick Roberson, as well as two on the practice squad in Wyatt Ray and Brooks Reed. Look for the team to add another at some point soon.

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Texans activate DE Nate Orchard from commissioner permission list

The Houston Texans have activated defensive end Nate Orchard from the exempt/commissioner permission list.

The Houston Texans have activated defensive end Nate Orchard from the exempt/commissioner permission list.

Orchard, 27, is a former Cleveland Browns 2015 second-round pick from Utah. The 6-3, 251 edge defender was previously with Washington, from 2019-20, where he played in eight games. Orchard collected 16 tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, 1.0 sack, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup in eight games with the NFC East club.

Over his career, Orchard has also played for the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, recording 85 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits, 6.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, six pass breakups, and an interception in 46 career games, 13 of which he started.

For Washington, Orchard played 29 special teams snaps over three games this season compared to 33 defensive snaps, where he collected two combined tackles.

The Texans recently placed inside linebacker Dylan Cole on injured reserve with a back injury. Outside linebacker Jacob Martin is still working his way through the COVID-19 protocol.

Texans place OLB Brennan Scarlett on injured reserve among other roster moves

The Houston Texans placed outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett on injured reserve along with other roster transactions.

The Houston Texans placed outside linebacker Brennan Scarlett on injured reserve Monday after he broke his arm in the 27-25 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 9 at TIAA Bank Field.

The fifth-year pro’s season ended with 25 tackles and a quarterback hit through eight games, four of which he started.

“Any time you’ve got a fractured arm, it’s difficult when you’re playing a physical position like he plays,” interim coach Romeo Crennel said Monday.

Joining Scarlett on injured reserve was inside linebacker Kyle Emanuel. The former San Diego Chargers 2015 fifth-round pick played one game for Houston, the 35-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers before the bye week. Emanuel recorded two tackles for the Texans.

The Texans claimed defensive end Nate Orchard off waivers and placed him on the exempt/commissioner permission list. Orchard was recently with Washington, where he played since the 2019 season, collecting 16 tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, 1.0 sack, a fumble recovery, and a pass breakup in his eight games with the club.

Houston also placed outside linebacker Davin Bellamy on the practice squad/injured list. Bellamy has been with the Texans off and on since 2018 when he was signed as an undrafted free agent. In January 2020, Houston signed Bellamy after a season on the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad.

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Washington brings in host of defensive players to work out for practice squad

With Ioannidis being placed on the IR, and Nate Orchard stepping up, Washington is looking to add a defensive player to the practice squad.

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The Washington Football Team looks to be adding some depth to the defensive side of their practice squad this week, which was depleted after LB Nate Orchard was signed to the active roster following the departure of DL Matt Ioannidis, who was placed on the IR with a torn bicep on Tuesday.

Of the players that are being brought in to try out for the team, two are defensive backs — Jordan Brown and Manny Patterson — as well as LB Nigel Harris and DT Devaroe Lawrence.

Washington is fortunate to have great depth on the defensive line to help make up for the lost talent of Ioannidis, but playing a man down, especially with someone as impactful as No. 98, is never an easy thing to do.

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Washington signs LB Nate Orchard to active roster; Matt Ioannidis placed on IR

Nate Orchard was signed to the active roster on Tuesday, filling the spot left by an injured Matt Ioannidis.

The Washington Football Team has made a couple of roster moves on Tuesday morning, bringing up veteran LB Nate Orchard from the practice squad and placing him on the active roster.

In accordance to this move, the team has also placed DL Matt Ioannidis on the injured reserve, where he will miss the rest of the season with a torn bicep that was suffered against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Orchard is no stranger to Washington’s defense, where he played 5 games with 14 tackles and 1 sack in 2019. He will likely be able to step up and rotate through the linebacking core and help to fill the gap that was left by Ioannidis.

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LB Nate Orchard had a career day in his first game with the Redskins

Just signed this week, Orchard was highly impactful on Sunday while helping the Redskins seal the victory over Carolina.

After linebacker Ryan Kerrigan ruled was out of this game early last week with a concussion, the Washington Redskins signed free agent Nate Orchard after he worked out with 10 NFL teams this season.

He just so happened to be one of the most important players for the Redskins, as they picked up their second-straight victory, 29-21, over the Carolina Panthers.

Orchard came in and played 43 snaps on defense, helping to boost a highly-depleted defense that was also missing Montez Sweat (injury) and Ryan Anderson (ejected) down the stretch. In relief, Orchard picked up four tackles, a sack, and the game-sealing fumble recovery.

With three of their top defenders set to return in the near future, there may be less of a role for Orchard going forward, but he proved on Sunday that he is worthy of a roster spot in Washington.

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