Tag: Pita Taumoepenu

XFL Defensive Player of the Year set to workout in Berea next week

Pita Taumoepenu will work out for the team on Wednesday.

With the 2023 NFL draft in the rearview and offseason workouts ramping up soon the Cleveland Browns will work out the XFL’s Defensive Player of the Year, Pita Taumoepenu, next week. According to the OBR’s Brad Stainbrook, the workout will take place on Wednesday in Berea. 

Playing for the Vegas Vipers this season Taumoepenu had a 76.2 overall grade from PFF with a 89.9 pass rush grade. He racked up 38 total quarterback pressures to go with eight sacks. He played some MIKE linebacker with Vegas after playing primarily as an outside linebacker/edge hybrid during his stints in the NFL.

It might be an uphill battle but Taumoepenu might provide for a fun training camp roster battle in the future.

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49ers legend Pita Taumoepenu wins XFL Defensive Player of the Year

Shoutout to Pita Taumoepenu!

Edge rusher Pita Taumoepenu didn’t pan out for the 49ers after they selected him with the No. 202 pick in the 2017 draft. Now he’s finding his way in a different pro league.

Taumoepenu was named the XFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2023 season after posting 7.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss and four forced fumbles this season for the Vegas Vipers.

Now he’s getting another opportunity thanks to his performance in the XFL. Taumoepenu is getting a workout with the Cleveland Browns per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston.

The 49ers were hopeful Taumoepenu would develop into a pass rushing force off the edge following an excellent senior season at Utah. He got off to a rough start in the NFL though. In two seasons with San Francisco he had just three tackles in six games. Over the next two years he played in one game with the Falcons and four with the Broncos. In 11 NFL games he has five tackles and zero sacks.

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Broncos allow contracts of 8 practice squad players to expire, making them free agents

The Broncos allowed the practice squad contracts of DBs Duke Dawson and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to expire, making them free agents.

After their 2021 season ended, the Denver Broncos signed six practice squad players to future contracts, giving those players a chance to compete for a roster spot during training camp in 2022.

Denver later signed another defensive lineman and a pass rusher from the CFL to future deals, bringing their future contracts total to eight players. Those players will be added to the team’s 90-man offseason roster when the new league year begins in March.

Meanwhile, the Broncos did not give future contracts to eight practice squad players, and their contracts expired on Monday. That means the following players are now free agents: DB Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, DB Duke Dawson, CB Rojesterman Farris, WR Rico Gafford, QB Anthony Gordon, OL Tristen Hoge, DT Akeem Spence and TE Caleb Wilson.

Those eight players will be joined in free agency by OLB Pita Taumoepenu, DE Carlo Kemp and DT Deyon Sizer, who were released from Denver’s practice squad earlier this month.

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Broncos make two changes to practice squad

Danny Etling had a short tenure on the Broncos’ practice squad.

Denver Broncos general manager George Paton continues to tinker with the bottom of the team’s roster.

Denver released offensive guard Shaq Calhoun and quarterback Danny Etling from the practice squad on Tuesday, the team announced.

Calhoun was signed last month when the team needed more depth at guard because of multiple injuries at the position. Etling was signed just last weekend to provide emergency QB depth while Drew Lock was in COVID-19 protocol.

Lock is expected to return this week and the Broncos will once again have three quarterbacks: Teddy Bridgewater, Brett Rypien and Lock.

Denver placed outside linebacker Pita Taumoepenu on the practice squad/COVID-19 list and cornerback Duke Dawson on the practice squad/injured list last week. The Broncos clearing two spots on the practice squad by cutting Calhoun and Etling might be a sign that Taumoepenu and Dawson are close to returning.

The Broncos currently have three open spots on the practice squad.

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Broncos status updates for Teddy Bridgewater and Jerry Jeudy

Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater is trending toward playing on TNF, but it looks like WR Jerry Jeudy won’t be activated from IR this week.

The Denver Broncos have made two game day roster moves ahead of their “Thursday Night Football” showdown with the Cleveland Browns. The team also made a Week 7 decision on wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, and news broke about the status of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.

Here’s what fans need to know.

Broncos made 5 moves at linebacker ahead of ‘Thursday Night Football’

After losing Alexander Johnson to a season-ending injury, the Broncos made some roster adjustments at linebacker.

After losing starting inside linebacker Alexander Johnson to a season-ending pectoral injury, the Denver Broncos made five roster moves ahead of a “Thursday Night Football” showdown with the Cleveland Browns.

Here’s a quick recap of the team’s five transactions.

More changes likely on the way for Broncos’ practice squad

After parting ways with OLB Pita Taumoepenu, the Broncos have an opening on the practice squad.

The Denver Broncos’ 16-player practice squad seems to be an ever-changing group of players.

Denver made another change over the weekend, parting ways with outside linebacker Pita Taumoepenu on Saturday just a few days after signing him. At the time of this writing, Taumoepenu’s former spot on the practice squad is yet to be filled.

The Broncos would have liked to sign running back Nate McCrary to their practice squad, but he’s opting to return to the Baltimore Ravens instead, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis. McCrary spent the first two weeks of the season on Denver’s active roster before being cut last week.

Several practice squad transactions are likely on the way for the Broncos this week as well. In addition to filling the vacant spot, Denver might also promote a wide receiver from the practice squad to the active roster after losing Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler to injuries.

The Broncos have four receivers — Tyrie Cleveland, Seth Williams, De’Mornay Pierson-El and Rico Gafford — on the practice squad. If one of those players is called up to the 53-man roster, Denver would then have a second opening on the practice squad.

The Broncos will host the Ravens, McCrary’s new team, in Week 4.

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Broncos brought in two OLBs for tryouts, signed one to practice squad

The Broncos are bringing back Pita Taumoepenu to provide more depth at outside linebacker. Shilique Calhoun also tried out for the team.

After losing edge defender Bradley Chubb to ankle surgery, the Denver Broncos brought in two outside linebackers for tryouts on Tuesday, according to the NFL’s transaction wire.

Shilique Calhoun (6-4, 260 pounds) is a 29-year-old veteran who visited the team after spending training camp with the San Francisco 49ers this summer. Calhoun is a former third-round pick who has spent time with the Oakland (now Las Vegas) Raiders and New England Patriots, totaling 56 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 51 career games.

Pita Taumoepenu (6-1, 245 pounds) is a 27-year-old veteran who has spent time with five different teams since entering the league as a sixth-round pick out of Utah in 2017. Taumoepenu has only appeared in seven regular season games in his career, totaling five tackles.

Taumoepenu went to training camp with the Broncos this summer so he has familiarity with the team’s defense. He won the tryout and will sign with Denver’s practice squad, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

On the active roster, Malik Reed is set to start in Chubb’s place with Jonathon Cooper and Andre Mintze providing additional depth at outside linebacker.

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Seahawks sign defensive end Damontre Moore, waive 2 from roster

The Seattle Seahawks have signed defensive end Damontre Moore and waived wide receiver Seth Dawkins and linebacker Pita

The signing of wide receiver Josh Gordon wasn’t the only move the Seattle Seahawks made on Thursday. Seattle also signed defensive end Damontre Moore.

Moore played four games for Seattle in 2016, recording seven tackles and 0.5 sacks. He landed on injured reserve on December 20 due to a foot injury and signed with the Cowboys in free agency. The Seahawks’ signing of Moore was listed on Thursday’s official NFL transaction report.

Seattle released wide receiver Seth Dawkins and linebacker Pita Taumoepenu to make room for Moore and Gordon on the active roster.

ESPN’s Field Yates also reported that the Seahawks brought in center Justin Britt for a tryout on Wednesday.

Britt was one of the most notable offensive linemen for the Seahawks over the past half-decade, constantly rotating across the line before eventually settling in at center. Throughout the nadir of Seattle’s offensive line struggles from 2015 to 2017, Britt was the most consistent presence and did not display as many issues as countless others along the line.

Seattle has to trim its squad down to 53 players by Saturday’s deadline.

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Seahawks place Branden Jackson on injured reserve, sign Pita Taumoepenu

The Seattle Seahawks have placed defensive end Branden Jackson on the injured reserve and signed Pita Taumoepenu to his place on the roster.

The Seattle Seahawks pulled off a couple of roster moves Sunday afternoon before the team’s final scrimmage of the summer. Seattle placed defensive end Branden Jackson on the injured reserve and signed defensive end Pita Taumoepenu to take his place on the active roster.

Jackson was carted off the field during the Seahawks’ first mock game at CenturyLink Field but was able to return to the team facility the following day.

“There’s some concerns that they’re going to check out to make sure we’re really clear on, so it’s going to take us little bit of time,” Carroll had said of Jackson’s status at the time.

“We’re going to be very deliberate about taking time,” Carroll continued. “Any time you get hit in the head like that, we’ve got to make sure we take all of the time that it takes and all of the considerations. There’s a lot of stuff we’re going to check him out on. We want to make sure he’s OK.”

Taumoepenu spent part of last year on Seattle’s practice squad. He was present at Sunday’s scrimmage, sporting jersey No. 59.

The Seahawks also confirmed the signing of wide receiver Paul Richardson.

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