Tag: PUP list

Saints place starting LT on PUP, opens door for rookie

Talliese Fuaga is penciled in as the Saints starting left tackle.

On Friday, it was reported that the New Orleans Saints had placed starting left tackle Ryan Ramczyk on the PUP list. Since it was after the deadline, the knee injury that cut off his 2023 season after just 12 games will cost him all of the 2024 season.

Knowing this was a real possibility, the Saints prepared by taking former Oregon State offensive tackle Taliese Fuaga in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft. Fuaga should have no issue in being ready by the start of the season to pick up where Ramczyk left off as the anchor on the left side of the Saints offensive line.

Ramczyk started 101 games over his first seven NFL seasons. Ramcyk was named an All-Pro three times. Fuaga parlayed a very strong 2023 season into being the third offensive tackle off the board after Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu. The Saints selected Fuaga with the No. 14 overall pick.

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Ryan Ramczyk designated to reserve/physically unable to perform list

Ryan Ramczyk was designated to the reserve/PUP list on Thursday. He’s technically sidelined for the first four games, but his season is effectively over:

It had been looking like for a while now that New Orleans Saints All-Pro tackle Ryan Ramczyk’s future with the team was in doubt.

Thursday’s announcement confirmed just this.

The Saints shared that Ramczyk was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list as he’s battling what’s been reported to be a degenerative knee issue. This will officially sideline him for the first four games of the season. If there were any chance Ramczyk could return sooner he wouldn’t be going on PUP.

With Ramczyk being placed on the list, he’s technically eligible to be activated to the roster the Monday after Week 4’s game against the Atlanta Falcons (Sept. 30). But according to NOF’s Nick Underhill, this is unlikely. He writes that “the expectation is that (Ramczyk) is not particularly close and his absence will extend well beyond the first four games. He’s unlikely to play this season.”

From the talk many of us heard this offseason from the Saints front office and coaching staff, this doesn’t come as a surprise. Head coach Dennis Allen made this statement earlier this offseason which gave us our first indication that Ramzyck’s future was uncertain: “We’ve got a plan for him. Certainly we don’t have to make any decisions now, but I haven’t seen the progress that I was hoping to see.”

If it is the end of the road for Ramczyk, he’s enjoyed a heck of a career. The former first-round pick started in all 101 games that he’s appeared in over seven years while also earning three All-Pro selections. That he went on to become one of the NFL’s most dominant right tackles in his prime after playing just a single season of Division I football at Wisconsin, at left tackle, is incredibly impressive.

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Broncos OLB Baron Browning a candidate to return from PUP list this week

Broncos outside linebacker Baron Browning (knee) is a candidate to return from the reserve/PUP list this week.

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Baron Browning (knee) seems to be on track to return to the active roster ahead of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers.

Browning, 24, went on the reserve/physically unable to perform list this summer after undergoing knee surgery. He returned to practice as soon as he was eligible on Oct. 4, but he has not yet been activated from the PUP list.

Browning has been limited at practice over the last two weeks as the Broncos get him back into football shape. Players returning from a significant injury are typically given a few weeks to get up to speed even after they have recovered from the injury.

Now that he has two weeks of practice under his belt, Browning might be on track to return to the 53-man roster this week. If he’s a full participant in practice this week, Browning will undoubtedly return in time for Week 7.

After trading Randy Gregory to the San Francisco 49ers and releasing Frank Clark, Denver’s top remaining pass rushers on the active roster are Nik Bonitto (5.5 sacks) and Jonathon Cooper (4 sacks). Browning — arguably the team’s most talented edge defender — could be added to the mix soon.

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Jaguars open Dawuane Smoot’s 21-day window to return from PUP list

Dawuane Smoot’s return is coming soon.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced Wednesday that they’ll open the 21-day window for defensive lineman/outside linebacker Dawuane Smoot to return from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

Smoot, 28, is now permitted to fully practice with the team over the next three weeks. At any point in time during the window, the Jaguars can move him from the PUP list to the active roster.

If he still hasn’t been activated at the end of the 21-day period, Jacksonville would have to choose between pushing him to the roster or putting him on the season-ending injured reserve. It likely won’t come to that point as the Jaguars are probably only opening Smoot’s window to return because they feel he is close to ready.

Smoot was leading the Jaguars in sacks last season when he suffered an Achilles tear during a December game against the New York Jets. In six seasons with Jacksonville, he has recorded 22.5 career sacks with 60 quarterback hits.

The veteran became a free agent in the offseason and was scheduled to visit the Baltimore Ravens in July, but was re-signed by the Jaguars before making the trip.

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Timeline for Texans OT Charlie Heck to come off PUP list

The Houston Texans don’t have Charlie Heck available as he is on PUP list. Here are targets to get the tackle back.

The Houston Texans are challenged with their tackle depth, and a key part of the issue is Charlie Heck.

The former 2020 fourth-rounder has been on the physically unable to perform list throughout training camp, and the Texans have had to look outside the organization for solutions, particularly with right tackle Tytus Howard working back from a fractured left hand.

General manager Nick Caserio told reporters Aug. 30 that they are working through the information as it relates to Heck.

“I think as we go, as we get more information, I think we’ll be able to make more of a determination about what their availability is going to be,” Caserio said. “And I’d say, even though they’re similar, each case is probably a little bit different. Tytus is definitely closer it appears. Charlie is probably a little bit further, so we’ll kind of just have to work through that.”

Here is a timeline over the next 12 weeks that encapsulates Heck and his stay on the PUP list.

Jaguars leaving DE Dawuane Smoot on PUP list into regular season

Dawuane Smoot will miss at least four regular season games while on the PUP list.

Jacksonville Jaguars veteran defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot will miss at least four games after the team decided Tuesday to keep the 28-year-old pass rusher on the PUP list.

Smoot suffered an Achilles tear in December 2022 and became a free agent in March. The Baltimore Ravens briefly showed interest in Smoot before he re-signed with the Jaguars in July.

While updates on Smoot’s recovery have been largely positive, the lineman began training camp on the PUP list and remained there through all of camp and preseason. He’ll be eligible to move to the active roster any time after the Jaguars’ Week 4 game against the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 1.

Smoot was selected by the Jaguars in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft and is the second longest tenured player on the team after offensive lineman Tyler Shatley. After recording zero sacks in his first two seasons, Smoot tallied 22.5 sacks in the last four years.

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Lions to activate CB Emmanuel Moseley from the PUP list prior to roster cutdown

Moseley will be on Detroit’s 53-man roster and eligible to play in Week 1

One of the biggest unknowns surrounding the Detroit Lions roster construction has been resolved. Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Lions are activating cornerback Emmanuel Moseley from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list ahead of the roster cutdown deadline.

The move means Moseley, signed this offseason as a free agent from the San Francisco 49ers, will be available to play in Week 1.

Moseley has not practiced with the team. He tore his left ACL last October and had surgery, then needed a second procedure just before training camp began in late July. Moseley appeared in his No. 4 jersey for the first time all summer at the Lions’ practice last Wednesday, running and working to the side with trainers.

It’s unclear just how quickly Moseley will get inserted into the lineup, as he’s yet to have a single practice with the team and hasn’t experienced full-speed action or contact in almost a year. But it’s a great boon to get back the man projected to be one of the starting outside CBs.

Jaguars activate G Ben Bartch from PUP list

Ben Bartch is back on the Jaguars’ active roster 10 months after a knee injury ended his 2022 season.

Jacksonville Jaguars guard Ben Bartch is back on the team’s active roster after beginning training camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, the team announced Monday.

Bartch, 25, earned the starting left guard job in camp last year, but suffered a season-ending knee injury in October. Veteran Tyler Shatley took over starting duties for the remainder of the season.

With both Bartch and Shatley temporarily out of action in camp, Blake Hance is currently listed as the Jaguars’ starting left guard on the first unofficial depth chart of the year.

Bartch was selected by the Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL draft and has played multiple spots on the offensive line during his three seasons with the team. Bartch is currently due to become a free agent after the 2023 season.

Jacksonville has two preseason games left before a regular season opener against the Indianapolis Colts on Sept. 10.

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Packers activating OLB Rashan Gary off PUP list

The Packers are activating edge rusher Rashan Gary off of the PUP list on Monday.

The Green Bay Packers will activate edge rusher Rashan Gary off of the physically unable to perform (PUP) list ahead of Monday’s practice, coach Matt LaFleur confirmed.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN was the first to report the news.

“(The Packers) will take it slowly with Gary coming off ACL surgery, but he’s set to ramp up the action,” Fowler wrote.

LaFleur said Gary will take part only in individual drills to start on Monday. The Packers still have over four weeks before Week 1 in Chciago, giving Gary ample time to get ready for the start of the regular season.

Gary, a 2019 first-round pick, was on a Pro Bowl pace when he tore his ACL at Ford Field in Detroit on Nov. 6 of last year. He had reconstructive surgery and missed the rest of the regular season and the full offseason workout program.

Getting Gary back opens the door for the Packers having a deep and disruptive pass-rusher group to open the 2023 season. Having first-round pick Lukas Van Ness may allow the Packers to ease Gary back into action come the regular season.

Coming off the PUP list now means Gary can’t start the regular season on the list.

Gary is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2023. An extension could be coming soon if the Packers are comfortable in his recovery.

LaFleur said cornerback Eric Stokes (foot) is not ready to come off the PUP list as of Monday.

Texans training camp: Houston activates 2 from PUP list, waives receiver

The Houston Texans have activated two players from the physically unable to perform list while also waiving a receiver as part of their roster moves.

The Houston Texans announced two players have passed their physicals and can take part in training camp.

The Texans took defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins and cornerback Kendall Sheffield off the physically unable to perform list Sunday.

Houston signed Rankins in free agency to provide depth along the interior defensive line. The former New Orleans Saints and New York Jets defensive tackle enters his eighth season.

Sheffield has his second chance to make the Texans’ roster. In 2022, the Texans claimed Sheffield off waivers during organized team activities in May, but cut him at the end of preseason. Following a stint with the Dallas Cowboys midway through the season, wherein he was not signed to a reserve/future contract, Houston brought Sheffield back on March 3.

The Texans also waived receiver Amari Rodgers. The former Green Bay Packers 2021 third-round pick caught 12 passes for 154 yards and a touchdown through six games for Houston last season.

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