Tag: practice squad

Recapping the roster moves Broncos made ahead of Bengals game

The Broncos did some roster shuffling ahead of their game against the Bengals.

Story update: After this post was published, the Broncos ruled out RB Tyler Badie (back) for Week 17 and elevated wide receiver David Sills from the practice squad to the game-day roster. See our original post below.

The Denver Broncos made a few transactions leading up to Saturday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The moves started on Tuesday when the Broncos waived veteran cornerback Levi Wallace from the active roster. That cut was made to make room for running back Blake Watson to be promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.

Elsewhere at running back, Tyler Badie (back) was designated to return from injured reserve on Tuesday. Badie now has a 21-day window to be activated from IR to the 53-man roster.

Wallace has since cleared waivers and is now a free agent. It remains to be seen if he will return on the practice squad.

More moves could be on the way for Denver later this week. The Broncos might not be done shuffling the practice squad, and two practice squad players can be elevated to the game-day roster each week.

With more moves potentially still on the way, here’s the quick list of transactions Denver has made so far ahead of the Bengals game.

Broncos roster moves

  1. Cut CB Levi Wallace from active roster
  2. Promoted RB Blake Watson to active roster
  3. Designated RB Tyler Badie to return from IR

Saturday’s game will be televised on NFL Network. The Broncos need one more win (or tie) to clinch a spot in the NFL playoffs.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Lions cut ex-Broncos linebacker

The Lions cut LB Kwon Alexander on Thursday. If he clears waivers, Detroit hopes to re-sign Alexander to the practice squad.

The Detroit Lions have cut inside linebacker Kwon Alexander, the team announced Thursday.

Alexander will now hit the NFL’s waiver wire. If he clears waivers, the Lions hope to re-sign Alexander to their practice squad, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Alexander (6-1, 227 pounds) joined the Denver Broncos in September after the team lost Alex Singleton to a season-ending knee injury. He was elevated from the practice squad to Denver’s game-day roster three times before being poached by Detroit.

Alexander, 30, appeared in two games with the Lions, totaling four tackles. Before that, he recorded eight tackles in three games with the Broncos. The linebacker tweeted this message on his Twitter/X page on Thursday:

Elsewhere on the ex-Bronco front, Detroit opened the 21-day window for receiver/returner Kalif Raymond to return from injured reserve, the Minnesota Vikings signed defensive lineman Jonathan Harris to their practice squad and the San Francisco 49ers added offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez to their practice squad.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Eagles sign former Saints quarterback after Jalen Hurts injury

The Philadelphia Eagles signed former New Orleans Saints quarterback Ian Book after Jalen Hurts and Kenny Pickett were nicked up by injuries:

An unexpected former New Orleans Saints quarterback is back in the news. Ian Book signed with the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad after Jalen Hurts (concussion) and Kenny Pickett (ribs) were nicked up by injuries, per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. Hurts wasn’t able to practice to start the week while Pickett was limited.

This isn’t Book’s first stop in Philly. The Eagles claimed him off waivers when the Saints let him go back in 2022, and he spent that season and the next summer’s training camp with them. He has since held backup roles with the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs before returning to Philadelphia.

Book, 26, was one of the last players drafted by Sean Payton back in 2021 — selected at No. 133 overall in the fourth round out of Notre Dame. But he was let go quickly once Dennis Allen was promoted to head coach, having performed poorly in a surprise start his rookie year when injuries and COVID-19 absences wracked the team. The Saints traded up to pick Jake Haener at No. 127 a few years later, and Spencer Rattler fell to them at No. 150 in this year’s NFL draft.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Chiefs sign veteran TE ahead of Christmas Day matchup vs. Steelers

The #Chiefs signed veteran TE Robert Tonyan to their practice squad on Monday ahead of their Week 17 matchup against the #Steelers.

In a surprise move on Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs signed veteran tight end Robert Tonyan to their practice squad ahead of their matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day.

Tonyan played collegiately at Indiana State and entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2017.

In his eight years in the league, Tonyan has signed contracts with every team in the NFC North—the Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and most recently the Minnesota Vikings.

Though he has never been among the NFL’s most recognizable tight ends, Tonyan has tallied 17 receiving touchdowns in his career, 11 of which were scored in the 2020 season.

As a member of Kansas City’s practice squad, Tonyan could potentially be elevated to the Chiefs’ active roster in the coming weeks if injuries take a toll on the team’s depth at the tight end position.

Fans shouldn’t expect to see Tonyan in action when Kansas City faces the Steelers on Wednesday.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire talks return to Louisiana after first Saints practice

Clyde Edwards-Helaire discussed the opportunity to return to Louisiana after his first practice on Thursday, and the call he received from the Saints:

The New Orleans Saints signing of Clyde Edwards-Helaire brings another Louisiana native back to the state, as he was born and raised in Baton Rouge. Edwards-Helaire then went on to play high school football at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, before moving on to college where he would spend three seasons with LSU, win a National Championship, and move on to the NFL.

He will now have a chance to play at this level with the Saints, and he had the opportunity to discuss this return to the state after his first practice with his new team on Thursday.

Edwards-Helaire told reporters it was too perfect of an opportunity to pass up.

“When I saw that 504 number come across my phone the other day, I couldn’t be more than ecstatic. Being able to come home and put on the black and gold was something I dreamed of as a kid,” Edwards-Helaire said.

He’s a lifelong Saints fan, so this was something of a full-circle moment for him. Edwards-Helaire said his mother had just found some of his old Saints gear during some housecleaning before the team called him: “I had multiple Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, and Deuce McAllister posters in my room. My mom was texting me on the way up here, she found my Saints puffer that I used to wear that had my name embroidered on it.”

He will now return home after winning two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs, as he looks to make an impact on his home town team.

[lawrence-auto-related count=65]

The Saints have already reissued Marshon Lattimore’s jersey number

Clyde Edwards-Helaire is set to wear No. 23 for the Saints, used most recently by now-Washington Commander Marshon Lattimore:

The most recent addition to the New Orleans Saints Clyde Edwards-Helaire seems to have chosen his number (of the limited remaining stock, which is worth noting). He was wearing No.23 Thursday at practice, as can be seen in the above video from Adam Ney of WWL-TV.

The Saints have not been hesitant to hand out numbers of notable players in the past, with the No. 13 jersey worn by Michael Thomas being given to Equanimeous St. Brown just this offseason, and many others being used, as there are only so many available to NFL teams. It seems the number of recently traded cornerback Marshon Lattimore will not be an exception, and in my mind, that is not a problem.

The No. 23 has a long history before Lattimore, with the most notable previous wearer prior to him being Pierre Thomas, who everyone can agree is a legend among Saints fans and well deserving of the praise he receives. Lattimore was also an exceptional player in his time with New Orleans, and will likely be in his time after the Saints as well, which we saw in Week 15.

Ultimately, Edwards-Helaire may get some running time in Week 16 with Alvin Kamara’s status up in the air, and if he does, he will be added to the 16 player list in Saints history of those who have worn the No. 23.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Two former Saints running backs sign with new teams ahead of Week 16

Two former New Orleans Saints running backs have signed with new teams

The New Orleans Saints have had many former players moving around the NFL this season, and two more have now signed with new teams ahead of the Week 16 slate of games. Both players are former Saints running backs who have been on the team within the last year or so and were cut due to the team already having relatively substantial running back depth with four on the active roster and two more on the practice squad.

The first player is Jacob Kibodi, who has signed with the Cleveland Browns practice squad, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 Houston. Kibodi was an undrafted free-agent signing for the Saints and had a decent showing in the preseason before being waived and added to the practice squad. He ultimately was released by the Saints earlier in the month and has found a new landing spot with the Cleveland Browns after an injury to Nick Chubb. Kibodi had two touchdowns in a preseason game against the Tennessee Titans earlier in the year, along with 12 rushes for 59 yards.

The second running back is Tony Jones Jr., who will be signing with the Arizona Cardinals practice squad, according to Wilson. Jones has had stops with a few different teams in the last few years, including the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals. He had previously been released by the Cardinals with an injury designation in August, however, they have now brought him back a couple of months later. He had two separate stints with the Saints, as well, starting off with New Orleans as an undrafted free agent and remaining from 2020 to 2022, and then returning in 2023 to score his first two career touchdowns against the Carolina Panthers.

Ultimately, with the signing of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the Saints did not have much room for another running back addition, and now two of their former ones will move on to new teams prior to the Week 16 slate of games.

Broncos elevate 2 players from practice squad to game-day roster

The Broncos are elevating RB Blake Watson and DL Matt Henningsen from the practice squad ahead of TNF.

The Denver Broncos are calling up reinforcements from the practice squad ahead of their Week 16 showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Broncos elevated running back Blake Watson and defensive lineman Matt Henningsen from the practice squad to the game-day roster, the team announced Thursday. They will revert back to the practice squad on Friday.

Players can be elevated up to three times during the season without having to clear waivers to return to the practice squad. This marks the first elevations of the season for both Watson and Henningsen.

The Broncos are turning to Watson after losing Jaleel McLaughlin to a quad injury. Watson will serve as the team’s No. 3 running back in L.A. behind Javonte Williams and Audric Estime (wide receiver Marvin Mims might get some snaps at running back as well).

Watson dressed for one game earlier this season, playing one snap on offense and one snap on special teams. He was bumped from the active roster down to the practice squad in October.

Thursday’s game will be available to stream on Prime. The Broncos are one win away from clinching a spot in the 2024 NFL playoffs.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Former Saints quarterback plans to make NFL return

Former Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater plans to make an NFL return, then head back to coach high school football in February:

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, now head coach of Miami Northwestern High School in Florida, has announced that he may be returning to the NFL in a playing capacity for a few months while he has availability from now until February when he returns to coach.

This news came live on The Insiders show from NFL Media, where Bridgewater said the following when asked about “Coach Teddy’s upcoming plans.”

“Coach Teddy, hopefully I mean, we’ll see how these next week and a half two weeks play out,” Bridgewater said. “Might be signing with a team or something, and then returning back to coach high school football in February. So, we’ll see.”

Then when asked if he is coming back to the NFL or going pro somewhere, he responded with, “That’s the plan man, my team know that’s the plan. We wanted to win a state championship, and then coach goes back to the league, see what happens, and then come back February in the offseason, continue coaching high school football. So, we’ll see how it plays out.”

Ultimately the next few weeks will indicate where he signs next, and the likelihood of a playoff contender he knows well like the Detroit Lions being a landing spot for his return is speculatively possible. The Saints could use better depth at quarterback given Derek Carr’s injury, too. Regardless of where he goes next, Bridgewater will forever have a legacy with New Orleans.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Bills sign ex-Broncos wide receiver to practice squad

The Bills signed ex-Broncos wide receiver Jalen Virgil to their practice squad.

The Buffalo Bills have signed wide receiver Jalen Virgil to their practice squad, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Virgil (6-0, 210 pounds) entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State with the Denver Broncos in 2022. He dressed for nine games as a rookie, hauling in two receptions for 75 yards and a touchdown. Virgil then missed the 2023 season with a knee injury.

Virgil competed in a crowded wide receiver room this summer and was ultimately cut when the Broncos set their 53-man roster in August. He then joined Buffalo’s practice squad. Virgil was promoted to the Bills’ active roster on Nov. 8 and he appeared in six games before being cut on Dec. 14. He now returns to Buffalo on the team’s practice squad.

Elsewhere on the ex-Bronco front, offensive lineman Zack Johnson worked out for the San Francisco 49ers this week and receiver/returner Isaiah McKenzie signed to the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]