Tag: practice squad

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.

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

The Broncos have elevated guard/center Nick Gargiulo and cornerback Reese Taylor from the practice squad to the game-day roster for Week 15.

The Denver Broncos are calling up reinforcements from the practice squad ahead of their Week 15 showdown with the Indianapolis Colts.

The Broncos elevated guard/center Nick Gargiulo and cornerback Reese Taylor from the practice squad to the game-day roster, the team announced Saturday. They will revert back to the practice squad on Tuesday.

Players can be elevated up to three times during the season without having to clear waivers to return to the practice squad. This marks Gargiulo’s third and final elevation. He was inactive for the team’s last two games after being elevated. Taylor has been elevated for the first time.

Elsewhere on the transaction front, Denver signed linebacker K.J. Cloyd to the practice squad earlier this week. The team also gave left tackle Garett Bolles a four-year contract extension this week.

Sunday’s game will be regionally televised on CBS (view the TV map). Playing at home, the Broncos are considered favorites against the Colts.

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Lions elevate 2 LBs from practice squad for Week 15 vs Bills

Lions elevate 2 LBs from practice squad for Week 15 vs Bills

The Detroit Lions added some defensive reinforcements for Sunday’s matxhup at Ford Field against the Buffalo Bills. The team elevated two linebackers from the practice squad.

For the second week in a row, Jamal Adams get am elevation. The veteran made his Detroit debut in the Week 14 win over the Packers. Detroit also elevated Abraham Beauplan to the active roster.

Injuries have hit the Lions hard at LB, and Adams figures to get some reps in the SAM role in place of Trevor Nowaske. Thr replacement for injured Derrick Barnes, Nowaske will miss this week’s late afternoon with a concussion.

Browns sign ex-Broncos wide receiver to practice squad

Ex-Broncos wide receiver Kaden Davis joined the Browns’ practice squad this week.

Kaden Davis has had quite a bumpy season.

The 26-year-old wide receiver signed with the Denver Broncos‘ practice squad on Sept. 11. He was then released on Oct. 1, re-signed on Oct. 8 and released again on Oct. 14.

He has now found a new home with the Cleveland Browns, joining their practice squad earlier this week. Davis (6-1, 190 pounds) entered the league as an undrafted free agent out of Northwest Missouri State with the Broncos in 2022. He has since spent time with the Michigan Panthers (USFL), Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions.

After another stint in Denver this fall, Davis will now get a fresh start in Cleveland, his fourth NFL team.

Elsewhere on the ex-Bronco front, defensive lineman DeShawn Williams re-signed with the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad after being cut from the active roster earlier in the week.

Meanwhile, offensive lineman Austin Schlottmann has been designated to return from injured reserve with the New York Giants, quarterback Ben DiNucci joined the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad and running back Royce Freeman landed on the practice squad of the Chicago Bears.

As for the Broncos, their active roster and practice squad are full going into Week 15.

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Bears sign former Broncos running back to practice squad

The Bears signed former Broncos third-round draft pick Royce Freeman to their practice squad.

Former Denver Broncos running back Royce Freeman has found a new home in the NFL.

Freeman (6-0, 238 pounds) has signed with the Chicago Bears’ practice squad, according to multiple reports. He joins a backfield in Chicago that includes D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer and Darrynton Evans.

Freeman entered the league as a third-round pick out of Oregon with the Broncos in 2018. He spent the first three years of his career in Denver, rushing 297 times for 1,187 yards and eight touchdowns in 46 games (eight starts). The Broncos cut Freeman ahead of the 2021 season and he landed with the Carolina Panthers.

After half a season with the Panthers, Freeman joined the Houston Texans. He appeared in 11 games with the Texans from 2021-2022 and then signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. He rushed 77 times for 319 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games with the Rams last fall.

Freeman went to training camp with the Dallas Cowboys this summer and he spent time on the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns earlier this season. The 28-year-old running back will now get a fresh start with the Bears.

Freeman has 2,324 career yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on his resume.

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Broncos’ updated 17-player practice squad with new linebacker

After adding K.J. Cloyd, here’s a look at the Broncos’ updated 17-player practice squad.

After losing linebacker Kwon Alexander to the Detroit Lions, the Denver Broncos filled his former spot on the practice squad by signing K.J. Cloyd on Tuesday.

The NFL’s standard practice squad size limit is 16 players, but there’s an exception that allows an extra international player to not count against the limit. For Denver, Australian tight end Thomas Yassmin is an exception, giving the Broncos a 17-player practice squad.

So here’s the full list of 17 players on the squad after the recent moves.

Broncos 17-player practice squad

  1. RB Blake Watson
  2. WR Michael Bandy
  3. WR David Sills
  4. WR A.T. Perry
  5. TE Donald Parham
  6. TE Thomas Yassmin
  7. OT Cam Fleming
  8. OL Nick Garguilo
  9. OL Calvin Throckmorton
  10. DT Jordan Miller
  11. DL Matt Henningsen
  12. OLB Andrew Farmer
  13. LB K.J. Cloyd
  14. CB Reese Taylor
  15. DB Quinton Newsome
  16. DB Tanner McCalister
  17. DB Keidron Smith 

Two players can be elevated from the practice squad to the game-day roster each week.

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Broncos sign linebacker to practice squad

The Broncos have signed linebacker K.J. Cloyd to their practice squad.

The Denver Broncos have found their Kwon Alexander replacement.

The Broncos signed linebacker K.J. Cloyd to their 17-player practice squad on Tuesday, the team announced. Denver had room for Cloyd after Alexander left the practice squad to join the Detroit Lions’ active roster on Nov. 29.

Cloyd (6-2, 215 pounds) entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Miami with the Minnesota Vikings this spring. He later joined the New York Giants and impressed in preseason, but he surprisingly did not make their 53-man roster.

Cloyd was initially signed to New York’s practice squad, only to be waived before the season started to make room for defensive back Gevarrius Owens.

Cloyd totaled 44 tackles, two sacks and one pass breakup in 13 games with the Hurricanes last fall. Before that, he spent three years at Louisville.

Denver now has four inside linebackers on the active roster — Cody Barton, Justin Strnad, Zach Cunningham and Levelle Bailey — and one linebacker (Cloyd) on the practice squad. It remains to be seen if Drew Sanders will play at ILB or OLB this fall.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid opened up about newly signed veteran cornerback: ‘A welcomed addition’

Kansas City #Chiefs head coach Andy Reid opened up about newly signed veteran cornerback Steven Nelson: ‘A welcomed addition’ | @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid held his weekly Zoom press conference with reporters on Monday. Shortly before his workout and eventual signing to the practice squad, he shared his opinion on free agent veteran cornerback Steven Nelson.

“He (Steven Nelson) – well, he was a good player when he was here. He came out of Oregon State with the ability to return and play corner and then developed into a starting corner in the league.” Reid said. “He had a nice career for the last how many years. It was the ability to add a little depth to that spot. We’ll just see how things work out (and) see kind of where he’s at today. He would be a welcomed addition if he’s – if it all works out.”

After spending last season with the Houston Texans, Nelson briefly retired during the offseason. He entered the league as a third-round pick of the Chiefs in the 2015 NFL draft, playing in Kansas City for four seasons before leaving for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019.

The Chiefs’ becoming thin in the secondary due to injury could’ve been a factor for Nelson’s addition. Cornerback Joshua Williams notably left early in Week 14’s victory over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Steven Nelson comes out of retirement, signs with Chiefs practice squad

The Kansas City #Chiefs signed veteran DB Steven Nelson on Monday after their win over the Los Angeles #Chargers on ‘Sunday Night Football’

The Kansas City Chiefs signed veteran defensive back Steven Nelson to a practice squad contract on Monday after their Week 14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Nelson, who initially entered the league as a third-round pick of the Chiefs in the 2015 NFL draft, played in Kansas City for four seasons before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019.

After his time in the City of Bridges, Nelson played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 and the Houston Texans in 2022 and 2023 before he announced his retirement on June 6, 2024.

Though it may take some time for Nelson to earn an activation from the Chiefs’ practice squad, his addition signals that general manager Brett Veach saw a need to add experience to Kansas City’s secondary.

Fans can expect Nelson to become a key contributor to the Chiefs’ defensive backfield if injuries continue to affect Kansas City’s cornerback depth in the final weeks of the regular season.

Raiders add potential Jakobi Meyers replacement for week 14

With Jakobi Meyers Questionable with an ankle injjury week 14 vs the Buccaneers, the Raiders elevated practice squad WR Kristian Wilkerson.

Thursday, Raiders starting receiver Jakobi Meyers suddenly missed practice with an ankle injury. Friday morning, head coach Antonio Pierce said Meyers would be full go for practice, but when the official injury report came out, Meyers was limited with the ankle and officially Questionable for the game.

The Raiders can ill afford to lose any receivers due to their already lacking depth at the position, especially after DJ Turner was placed on injured reserve this week. But of all the receivers they can least afford to lose, it’s Meyers.

Pierce seemed confident Meyers would be able to play Sunday in Tampa, but Saturday the team made a contingency plan, elevating Kristian Wilkerson.

The four-year veteran originally signed with the Raiders in May of 2023 and has been with the team off and on since then. He appeared in two games last season with one start and this would be his third game with the team this season. He has two catches for 18 yards and a touchdown this season.

Earlier this week, they signed practice squad wide receiver Terrace Marshall to fill the spot on the depth chart when Turner was placed on IR.

But even with Marshall, the Raiders had just four wide receivers on the active roster. Should Meyers be unable to go, they would have been left with just three, making the Wilkerson elevation a must, if only to ensure they could field a full starting lineup with one reserve.