Tag: practice squad

Saints add more cornerback depth with this reserve/future deal

The Saints added more cornerback depth by signing Rejzohn Wright to reserve/future deal. The former All-Pac-12 corner has spent time with the Panthers and Raiders:

Here’s the big offseason personnel move New Orleans Saints fans  have been waiting for: free agent cornerback Rejzohn Wright has signed a reserve/future deal with the team, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill, guaranteeing him a spot on their 90-man roster. He’ll have an opportunity to compete in training camp. Most of the Saints’ 2023 practice squad is coming back on these type of contracts.

A second-year pro out of Oregon State (where he earned All-Pac-12 recognition as a senior), Wright is listed at 6-foot-1.5 and 193 pounds, which fits the athletic prototype the Saints value at cornerback. He previously spent time with the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders.

Wright joins a crowded position group. The Saints are bringing back Marshon Lattimore, Paulson Adebo, Alontae Taylor, and Faion Hicks from the 2023 team with players like Isaac Yiadom and Shemar Jean-Charles headed for free agency. But you can never have enough cornerbacks (especially if a Lattimore trade is brewing behind the scenes). We’ll see if Wright can make some noise when practices kick off in a few months.

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49ers add DE depth to practice squad, release RB

The #49ers added some DE depth to their practice squad on Tuesday.

The 49ers on Tuesday announced a change to their practice squad.

Defensive end Austin Bryant is back with the club. Running back Jeremy McNichols was released to make room for the veteran DE.

Bryant was with the 49ers earlier this season and saw action in Weeks 1 and 5, with one tackle in the Week 5 win over the Cowboys. He joined the Vikings practice squad, but got released on January 15. This move gives the 49ers internal DE depth while Clelin Ferrell deals with a knee injury that’s expected to keep him out a couple weeks.

McNichols saw time in three games after joining the 49ers’ practice squad in late September. In those three games he played 20 special teams snaps.

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Saints sign all but three practice squad players to reserve/future deals

The Saints signed all but three practice squad players to reserve/future deals, bringing them back for 2024:

This may look unusual, but it isn’t uncommon. The New Orleans Saints signed reserve/future deals with all but three players from their 2023 practice squad — essentially inviting those 13 players who are returning to their 2024 training camp. Everyone who was on the practice squad except for offensive lineman Colby Gossett, wide receiver Marquez Callaway, and rookie receiver Shaquan Davis are inked to return in 2024.

But this doesn’t shut the door on anyone. Teams often issue reserve/future contracts (which are just minimum-salary deals that guarantee players a spot on the 90-man offseason roster) in batches, and they’ll likely circle back to Davis and Co. after handling other business. They’re able to work out other players who didn’t sign reserve/future deals around the league after their practice squad contracts expired.

Davis specifically endeared himself to Saints fans during the 2023 preseason by catching 7 passes for 101 yards, largely from the slot. The former undrafted rookie from South Carolina State has rare size at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, but a midseason injury sidelined him. Hopefully he can return for 2024 and compete for more snaps.

Here’s a quick look back at the 13 players who did sign reserve/future contracts with New Orleans:

Packers elevate CB David Long Jr. from practice squad for wildcard round vs. Cowboys

The Packers elevated CB David Long Jr. from the practice squad to the gameday roster for the NFC Wild Card Round vs. the Cowboys.

The Green Bay Packers elevated cornerback David Long Jr. from the practice squad to the gameday roster for the NFC Wild Card Round. The move was announced Saturday, making Long available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday’s showdown with the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.

The Packers re-signed Long to the practice squad on Friday. He played in three games with the Packers after being claimed off waivers in early December but was released last week. Long was on the field for 14 special teams snaps.

Long’s elevation is an obvious answer to Jaire Alexander’s status for Sunday. The All-Pro cornerback is questionable to play with an ankle injury, meaning the Packers have only four healthy cornerbacks — Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell — on the 53-man roster. Alexander will be a game-time decision. Long, who has played in 62 career NFL games, provides valuable experience and depth at the position entering a game against Dak Prescott and the NFL’s No. 1 scoring offense.

This will actually be the second time Long faces the Cowboys this season. He played eight snaps on defense and 12 on special teams while with the Carolina Panthers in a 33-10 loss to the Cowboys on Nov. 19. Sunday will be Long’s first playoff game since winning the Super Bowl with the Rams on Feb. 13, 2022.

The Packers didn’t elevate a wide receiver, which could be good news for Christian Watson, who is also questionable to play. Last week, the Packers elevated rookie Grant DuBose from the practice squad but made him inactive.

The Packers had only three players with status designations on the final injury report: Alexander, Watson and running back A.J. Dillon. Emanuel Wilson and Patrick Taylor will back up Aaron Jones, so no move was required at running back.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so Long has two elevations remaining. On Monday, Long will revert back to the practice squad.

The Packers elevated at least one player during 15 of their 18 games this season. Long represents the 23rd time a player has been elevated from the practice squad by the Packers this season.

Elevations by week

Week 1: RB Patrick Taylor, DB Innis Gaines
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor, DB Innis Gaines
Week 3: RB Patrick Taylor, CB Corey Ballentine
Week 4: CB Corey Ballentine, CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: CB Corey Ballentine
Week 7: None
Week 8: None
Week 9: DB Innis Gaines
Week 10: None
Week 11: S Benny Sapp III
Week 12: S Benny Sapp III, FB Henry Pearson
Week 13: RB James Robinson, FB Henry Pearson
Week 14: RB Kenyan Drake
Week 15: RB Kenyan Drake, WR Bo Melton
Week 16: WR Bo Melton, S Benny Sapp III
Week 17: WR Bo Melton
Week 18: WR Grant DuBose
WC: CB David Long Jr.

10 players sign future contracts with Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings signed 10 player from the practice squad to futures contracts, keeping them with the franchise during the offseason.

The Minnesota Vikings began shaping their 2024 roster on Monday afternoon by signing 10 players to futures contracts.

A futures contract is one that a player signs when they aren’t signed to a team’s active roster when the season is over. It is for the league minimum depending on how many service years the player has. The players don’t impact the salary cap until the new league year starts on March 13th.

Each year, teams usually sign in the ballpark of 10 players to futures contracts. They are usually players that have been on their practice squads throughout the year but every so often, teams will sign a player from another practice squad.

The Vikings signed 10 players to futures contracts on Monday afternoon with all of them having been on the practice squad.

Broncos make first quarterback move of 2024 offseason

The Broncos made their first QB move of the 2024 offseason on Monday, signing Ben DiNucci to a reserve/future contract.

The Denver Broncos made their first quarterback move of the offseason on Monday, but it might not be the move fans expected.

Denver signed Ben DiNucci to a reserve/future contract, the third-string quarterback announced on his Twitter/X page on Monday. After spending the 2023 campaign on the Broncos’ practice squad, DiNucci was eligible to sign a reserve/future deal.

DiNucci is now set to officially join the 90-man offseason roster when the new league year begins in March.

Denver is expected to release quarterback Russell Wilson in March, a move that would leave Jarrett Stidham and DiNucci as the team’s only QBs under contract for the 2024 season.

In addition to DiNucci, the Broncos also gave reserve/future contracts to 11 other players on Monday. Practice squad wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith was not among those players and he is not expected to re-sign with Denver, according to the Denver Gazette‘s Chris Tomasson.

DiNucci, 27, spent time with the Dallas Cowboys (2020-2021) and in the XFL (2023) before joining the Broncos last May.

Saints complete several last-second roster moves before Week 18 vs. Falcons

The Saints completed several last-second roster moves to prepare for Week 18’s game against the Falcons:

We’re hours away from what may be the last New Orleans Saints game of the year. A loss in Sunday’s matchup with the Atlanta Falcons would end the Saints’ season, while a win could only extend it by a few more minutes, depending on how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ contest with the Carolina Panthers goes, or hours, with a couple of different late-afternoon matchups factoring into the playoff picture.

But it all starts with a win on Sunday. And to that end, the Saints processed a series of last-minute roster moves to bring up reinforcements from their practice squad and the injured reserve list. Here’s what you need to know about each of them:

Packers elevate WR Grant DuBose from practice squad for Week 18 vs. Bears

The Packers elevated WR Grant DuBose from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 18 vs. the Bears.

The Green Bay Packers elevated receiver Grant DuBose from the practice squad to the gameday roster for Week 18. The move was announced Saturday, making DuBose available for Matt LaFleur and the Packers for Sunday’s showdown with the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.

This is the first elevation for DuBose, a seventh-round pick of the Packers in the 2023 draft.

The big question entering Sunday: Does elevating DuBose mean the Packers simply want an extra layer of protection at a position that has been consistently affected by injury, or is a currently injured player in danger of missing the contest? Christian Watson (hamstring), Jayden Reed (chest) and Dontayvion Wicks (chest) all practiced this week but are questionable to play Sunday. DuBose’s elevation might mean one is trending toward being inactive against the Bears.

With Watson, Reed, Wicks, Romeo Doubs, Malik Heath and the recently signed Bo Melton, the Packers have six receivers on the 53-man roster. DuBose is the seventh on the gameday roster.

While elevated, DuBose doesn’t necessarily have to be active Sunday. He could be a safeguard against any kind of setback — especially for Watson — leading into the game against the Bears.

The Packers listed 11 players with playing status designations on the final injury, but only one elevation from the practice squad suggests the team isn’t overly concerned about the injury situation entering Sunday.

All teams are allowed to elevate up to two players from the practice squad each week. An individual player can only be elevated from the practice squad three times per season, so DuBose has two elevations remaining. On Monday, DuBose will revert back to the practice squad.

The Packers elevated at least one player during 14 of their 17 games this season. DuBose represents the 22nd time a player has been elevated from the practice squad by the Packers this season.

Elevations by week

Week 1: RB Patrick Taylor, DB Innis Gaines
Week 2: RB Patrick Taylor, DB Innis Gaines
Week 3: RB Patrick Taylor, CB Corey Ballentine
Week 4: CB Corey Ballentine, CB Kiondre Thomas
Week 5: CB Corey Ballentine
Week 7: None
Week 8: None
Week 9: DB Innis Gaines
Week 10: None
Week 11: S Benny Sapp III
Week 12: S Benny Sapp III, FB Henry Pearson
Week 13: RB James Robinson, FB Henry Pearson
Week 14: RB Kenyan Drake
Week 15: RB Kenyan Drake, WR Bo Melton
Week 16: WR Bo Melton, S Benny Sapp III
Week 17: WR Bo Melton
Week 18: WR Grant DuBose

Cowboys release WR Martavis Bryant, 3 others from practice squad

From @ToddBrock24f7: The veteran was signed in November after being reinstated by the NFL. His release corresponds with 4 new practice squad signings.

The Cowboys’ signing of Martavis Bryant raised a few eyebrows when it was announced in early November. The wide receiver had been out of football for nearly five years, but the promise he flashed during stints with the Steelers and Raiders made him worth a look once he was reinstated by the league following an indefinite suspension in 2018.

But his time with Dallas amounted to less than two months on the practice squad, with no game-day elevations. Bryant was released on Thursday, along with three other players, to make room for La’el Collins, Damien Wilson, Racey McMath, and SaRodorick Thompson.

Wide receiver Tyron Billy-Johnson, considered by many to be one of the fastest players in the Cowboys locker room in 2023, was also released Thursday without ever having been elevated.

Offensive lineman Adam Pankey and defensive tackle Willington Previlon were released as well; neither saw the 53-man roster for Dallas this season.

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League rules dictate that a team’s practice squad may have a maximum of six players who have more than two accrued seasons of free agency credit. By adding Collins and Wilson, it meant that other veterans had to go. Bryant, Billy-Johnson, and Pankey all have multiple years’ service on NFL rosters.

According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, “other options were available,” but the team felt releasing Bryant and Billy-Johnson was the best choice, given the state of the wide receiver position on the current roster.

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Saints signed a former Falcons OL before critical Week 18 finale

The Saints signed a former Falcons guard before Week 18’s rematch. Maybe he can give Dennis Allen some pointers on how to not allow 228 rushing yards this time:

This is interesting: the New Orleans Saints signed former Atlanta Falcons offensive lineman Colby Gossett to their practice squad this week, per NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. This pickup comes just days before the Saints kick off with Gossett’s old Falcons team in their Week 18 regular season finale.

A sixth-round pick out of Appalachian State by the Minnesota Vikings back in 2018, Gossett has spent time with five different teams before coming to New Orleans. But the bulk of his game experience has been with the Falcons, where he played 314 snaps at left guard and 70 reps at right guard during the 2021 and 2022 seasons (including the 2022 preseason). He most recently played for the Browns in the 2023 preseason.

So are the Saints hoping Gossett can give them some inside info? Probably not. There won’t be anything he can share with them they won’t pick up studying game tape themselves, and New Orleans had to have learned a lot when the Falcons ran for 228 yards on Dennis Allen’s defense in a 24-15 road loss earlier this season. Gossett adds depth and some veteran experience to an offensive line that could use it, but don’t expect his presence to determine the outcome on Sunday.

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