Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Here is why the Chargers could beat the Jets on Monday night.
The Chargers return to primetime on Monday night following a get-right win over the Bears last Sunday night. Their opponent increases in quality, but only on one side of the ball, with the Jets hosting Los Angeles.
Here are four reasons to believe the Bolts will put together their second straight win.
The Chargers shored up the tight end room.
After waiving tight end Tre’ McKitty on Tuesday, the Chargers wasted no time in bolstering the depth chart. Per Aaron Wilson, Nick Vannett was signed from the practice squad to the active roster.
#Chargers signed Nick Vannett to active roster
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) November 1, 2023
The move comes after a few weeks of rather poor blocking performances from both Tre’ McKitty and Stone Smartt. McKitty was also a healthy scratch prior to the Chiefs game. Vannett will at least be given some opportunity to show off what he can do in the blocking department.
Vannett’s last full season with over 20+ pass blocking and 100+ run blocking snaps was in 2021. With the Saints, he scored a 75.8 PFF grade as a pass blocker and a 55.1 PFF grade in run blocking last year. In 2022, his numbers dipped a bit with the Saints and he was cut for cap reasons during the season. However, his numbers did rebound closer to his 2021 status quo in the second half of the season with the Giants.
Vannett will be tasked with being one of the tight ends to stabilize the blocking on the unit currently. The Chargers’ run success rates have decreased due to both relative drops in team blocking and running back efficiency.
The roster is brought back to 53 with the signing of Vannett following yesterday’s waive of McKitty. The Chargers will also likely need to make two more roster cuts for Jalen Guyton and Otito Ogbonnia to be activated off of the PUP list and formally return against the Jets on Monday night.
The Chargers are cutting ties with their 2021 third-round pick.
The Chargers waived tight end Tre’ McKitty on Tuesday.
McKitty, the former third-round pick out of the 2021 NFL draft, appeared in 34 games (12 starts) across three seasons. They selected him with the intent of being a reliable blocker, but it never came to fruition.
McKitty wasn’t serviceable in the passing game, either. He had 12 catches on 26 targets for 117 yards.
With McKitty gone, Gerald Everett, Donald Parham and Stone Smartt make up the tight end room. To fill the void, L.A. could call up Nick Vannett from the practice squad.
A third-round pick by the Seahawks in 2016, Vannett has 90 receptions for 874 yards and six touchdowns in his career.
If they don’t promote Vannett, that empty roster spot could be for either wide receiver Jalen Guyton or defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia, who will soon be activated off the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.
Keep track of all the signings to the Chargers practice squad right here.
After setting their initial 53-man roster, the Chargers began constructing their 17-man practice squad. They signed 12 and added three over the past two days.
Here’s the full list of the players signed to the Bolts practice squad:
EDGE Brevin Allen
RT Zack Bailey
WR Terrell Bynum
DT Jerrod Clark
DT Christian Covington
QB Max Duggan
WR Keelan Doss
EDGE Andrew Farmer
CB Matt Hankins
TE Hunter Kampmoyer
DT CJ Okoye (IPP)
G/T Austen Pleasants
WR Alex Erickson
S Dean Marlowe
TE Nick Vannett
The Chargers added a veteran safety and tight end.
The Chargers signed safety Dean Marlowe and tight end Nick Vannett to the practice squad on Thursday.
After the additions of wide receiver Alex Erickson, Marlowe and Vannett, there are two vacant spots on the practice squad.
Marlowe spent the second half of the 2022 season with the Bills after being traded by the Falcons. He became a full-time starter after Damar Hamlin’s horrifying injury.
Before that, Marlowe had three stints with the Bills from 2018-2020. He also played a season for the Lions in 2021.
Marlowe started his NFL career with the Panthers as an undrafted free agent out of James Madison University in 2015, where he played under Brandon Staley, the defensive coordinator and secondary coach.
Across seven seasons, Marlowe has 119 tackles, seven passes defended, two interceptions and a pair of tackles for loss.
Vannett, 30, spent last season with the Saints and Giants, playing nine games with three starts. He totaled six catches for 55 yards.
He also has played for the Seahawks, Steelers and Broncos.
A third-round pick by Seattle in 2016, Vannett has 90 receptions for 874 yards and six touchdowns in his career.
Former New York Giants tight end Nick Vannett has signed with the Houston Texans.
Former New York Giants tight end Nick Vannett has landed with a new team after the veteran inked a deal with the Houston Texans.
The Texans announced the signing on Wednesday, along with the release of veteran defensive lineman, Demone Harris, who reportedly plans to retire, according to Aaron Wilson of Click2Houston.com.
A former third-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2016, Vannett latched on with the Giants’ practice squad in November of last year while Daniel Bellinger was sidelined with an eye injury.
Vannett, who was eventually promoted to the active roster, played in six games (three starts) for Big Blue in 2022, catching four passes on seven targets for 42 yards.
He also played nine offensive snaps and 25 special teams snaps over two postseason contests, but did not record a stat.
Prior to his stint with the Giants, Vannett also appeared in games with the Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints.
[lawrence-auto-related count=5]
We’re looking at every prospect selected with the 94th overall pick since the 2000 NFL Draft and the Philadelphia Eagles’ chances of landing an impact player.
The Eagles need impact players on both sides of the ball, and with two first-round picks in this month’s draft, Howie Roseman will have another opportunity to add depth to a Super Bowl-caliber roster.
With so much parity in college football now, third-round picks offer an opportunity to land a dynamic player, but the list of No. 94 overall picks has left much to be desired.
With the NFL draft fast approaching, we’re looking at every player selected with the 94th pick since 2000.
The New Orleans Saints have four players accounting for $5 million in dead money for 2023, but that number could soon increase five or six times over:
There’s a lot of work to be done in getting the new Orleans Saints under the 2023 salary cap, but don’t blame players no longer on the roster. For once, the Saints don’t have many dead money commitments from past retirements and roster mistakes — just four players are on the books right now who won’t be playing for New Orleans in the fall. As things currently stand, they won’t have any dead money leftover at all in 2024. It’s the healthiest this area of the operation has been in years.
But it won’t last. While the Saints are forfeiting $5,038,479 right now in dead money (per Over The Cap), that number could increase five times over in just a few weeks should a couple of free agents sign with other teams. And any players designated as post-June 1 cuts will factor into the 2024 salary cap mathematics. Let’s break it down:
New York Giants LB Kayvon Thibodeaux and RT Evan Neal were limited participants in practice on Wednesday, while CB Adoree’ Jackson sat out.
The New York Giants returned to the (indoor) practice field on Wednesday following a walkthrough the day prior. But not much changed.
Head coach Brian Daboll indicated that the projected injury report from Tuesday would remain the same and he was true to his word. That likely means cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, as expected, will miss Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.
Offensive lineman Shane Lemieux is also at least a week away from returning.
The Giants’ full Wednesday injury report can be found below:
Did not participate: CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), OL Shane Lemieux (toe)
Limited participant: DE Leonard Williams (neck), OT Evan Neal (shoulder), LB Kayvon Thibodeaux (elbow), TE Nick Vannett (shoulder)
Full participant: N/A
[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbx61yex5whq8aq player_id=01eqbvhghtkmz2182d image=]
[lawrence-related id=703471,703441,703455]
[listicle id=703421]
The New York Giants withstood a late Washington Commanders rally in Week 15 and kept their playoff hopes very much alive.
The New York Giants and Washington Commanders entered a Week 15 game fully aware of its significance. Even if they downplayed it throughout the week, both teams recognized that it was a playoff-like situation.
And it played out accordingly.
Like an old-school NFC East game, the two teams left it all on the line. There were big hits, big plays, and big stops. And in fitting fashion, it came all the way down to the end.
Ultimately, the Giants held strong against a furious Commanders rally late in the fourth quarter. They stopped Washington on four downs inside the 10-yard line with just seconds remaining.
With the win, the Giants improve to 8-5-1 on the year and secure their first .500 or better season since 2016. Their playoff odds also improve to above 80%.
