Tag: Quenton Meeks

Saints sign former USFL cornerback Quenton Meeks after group tryout

The Saints signed former USFL cornerback Quenton Meeks after a group tryout involving six free agents:

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Dennis Allen values defensive backs given his history as a position coach, but the New Orleans Saints are still doubling down on their head coach’s area of focus. NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill first reported that the team signed free agent cornerback Quenton Meeks ahead of Saturday’s training camp practice, where Meeks participated while wearing No. 43. A corresponding roster move for his arrival wasn’t immediately clear.

Meeks, 26, played for the USFL’s Tampa Bay Bandits earlier this year after spending last summer with the Tennessee Titans, though his last NFL snaps came in 2020, largely on special teams. He’s spent most of his pro career on the Los Angeles Chargers and Jacksonville Jaguars practice squads after turning pro out of Stanford.

New Orleans could use more depth at corner regardless of Allen’s preferences. Marshon Lattimore is resting a “slight muscle pull,” Underhill repots, with backups like Dylan Mabin also out of action. Injuries are also piling up at safety (Smoke Monday is out for the season), so it makes sense to bring in a player like Meeks to pad out practice reps. He was one of several defensive backs to try out on Friday, per the daily NFL transactions wire. The full list of tryouts:

  • Quenton Meeks (signed)
  • Brian Allen
  • Jordan Brown
  • T.J. Carrie
  • Jameson Houston
  • Jack Koerner

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Tennessee Titans agree to terms with DB Quenton Meeks

The Titans have added another camp body to their roster.

The Tennessee Titans announced the addition of a new cornerback on Tuesday, revealing they have agreed to terms with Quenton Meeks.

Meeks was originally signed as an undrafted free agent out of Stanford by the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2018. He played in eight games (one start) for the Jags in 2018, and then another four games for them in 2020.

In between his two separate stints with the Jags, Meeks also spent time on the Los Angeles Chargers’ practice squad and appeared in two games for them in 2020.

For his career, Meeks has eight combined tackles and two passes defensed, all of which came in his rookie year. He has played the majority of his NFL snaps on special teams.

With Tennessee’s secondary already pretty crowded, Meeks is a massive longshot to make the roster out of training camp. Instead, he’ll be a camp body vying for a spot on the practice squad.

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Jaguars make several transactions before Week 16’s game against the Bears

The Jags decided to bolster their numbers at running back and other positions before taking on the Bears Sunday.

With running back James Robinson set to miss Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears, the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to bolster their numbers at running back Saturday. They activated both Craig Reynolds and fullback Bruce Miller through standard practice squad elevation.

The Jags also signed cornerback Quenton Meeks to the active roster off their practice squad and elevated offensive lineman Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms via COVID-19 replacement. Both were promoted to the active roster last week, too.

Sunday will mark Reynolds’ second game as a Jag after he participated in Week 12’s game against the Cleveland Browns. He took the field for five special teams snaps in the process.

Miller has already participated in seven games this season and started in four with the Jags. He’ll enter Week 16 with one reception for two yards.

Meeks will be taking the field for the third time this season in a Jags uniform.  He re-joined the team three weeks ago (went undrafted to them in 2018) when they signed him to their practice squad (Dec. 7). After taking the field Weeks 14-15, he’ll enter the week looking to register his first statistics though he has registered 12 special teams snaps with the Jags this season.

As for Wallace-Simms, Sunday will mark his third game, too. He took part in the Jags’ last two games and registered five snaps in the process.

Jags make moves to prep fo Week 15’s game vs. Ravens

Andrew Norwell and Chris Claybrooks will officially be returning from IR this week against the Ravens.

The Jacksonville Jaguars made several transactions Saturday to prepare their roster for Week 15’s road trip to Baltimore.

As expected, the most important transaction was activating cornerback Chris Claybrooks (core muscle) and guard Andrew Norwell (forearm), both of whom were designated to return from injured reserve this week. Norwell will be returning to his role as the starting left guard, while Claybrooks will likely have to enter the starting lineup, too, as Sidney Jones (Achilles) was ruled out.

The Jags also activated Tre Herndon from the Reserve/COVID-19 list after he was placed on it Wednesday. This news is pretty significant for the cornerback position as Herndon is the most experienced boundary corner on the perimeter with 23 career starts to his name.

The Jags also elected to snag some help from their practice squad by activating cornerback Quenton Meeks via a standard practice squad elevation and offensive lineman Tre’Vour Wallace-Simms via a COVID-19 Replacement transaction. Again, Meeks’ addition helps the Jags at the spot where they are the most wounded, while Wallace-Simms gives the Jags a backup offensive lineman to replace Ben Bartch, who went on the Reserve/ COVID-19 list this week.

Chargers make roster moves ahead of Week 10 vs. Dolphins

The Los Angeles Chargers will be without running back Justin Jackson.

The Chargers made a few roster moves ahead of their Week 10 matchup against the Dolphins.

Los Angeles signed running back Kalen Ballage to the active roster while placing Justin Jackson on the injured reserved. In addition, the team also activated cornerback Quenton Meeks from the practice squad.

When on the field, Jackson has produced positive results. Unfortunately, he has been slowed by a knee injury, which forced him to miss last Sunday’s matchup against the Dolphins.

Jackson is eligible to return in Week 13 when L.A. faces the Patriots. There’s a good chance that will be around the same time that Austin Ekeler will be able to return.

Ballage proved his worth in Week 9, rushing 15 times for 69 yards and a touchdown.

The Chargers will be without defensive end Joey Bosa, who was ruled out for the second week in a row with a concussion.

3 Chargers practice squad players to keep eye on during training camp

Three defensive players for the Los Angeles Chargers have the opportunity to make the 53-man roster.

Practice squad players benefit from being able to learn the system, which could then give them the upper hand when attempting to make the final 53-man roster.

With that being said, here are three Chargers players from the practice squad to keep an eye on when training camp starts on July 27:

LB Malik Jefferson

Things are looking up for the linebacker position after the outstanding rookie season by Drue Tranquill and the first-round pick used on Kenneth Murray. However, the depth behind those two isn’t as superior as they would like it to be.

The Bengals selected Jefferson in the third-round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he primarily played on special teams before having his season cut short. He was let go of in August of 2019 before being signed by the Browns. Cleveland released him in November, which then led to Los Angeles signing him to the practice squad.

In a press conference, general manager Tom Telesco said that they were fans of Jefferson coming out of college, indicating that they were pleased to sign him when they did. Coach Anthony Lynn said that Jefferson would primarily be used as a MIKE linebacker. Given how thin the linebacker and special teams depth is, he has a real shot to crack the 53-man roster.

DT PJ Johnson

Johnson was selected by the Lions in the seventh-round of the 2019 NFL draft. He was with the team throughout the preseason, but was released on cutdown day. The former Arizona product was signed to Los Angeles’ practice squad last December.

Johnson, the humongous defensive lineman, has great upper body strength to dispose blockers and make an impact against the pass and run. The 6-foot-4 and 335 pound nose tackle finished his collegiate career with 31 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.

The nose tackle position was addressed with the signing of Linval Joseph and re-signing of Damion Square. That doesn’t mean the work ends there. Last season, the Chargers carried three on the roster, which means Johnson could eventually occupy the final spot.

CB Quenton Meeks

It was thought that the Chargers were going to bring in a cornerback this offseason to compete with Michael Davis and Brandon Facyson on the opposite side of Casey Hayward. However, they swayed away from the position other than signing Chris Harris, Jr.

After a successful collegiate career with Stanford, Meeks was signed by the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He spent some time on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster. There, he amassed eight tackles and two passes defensed.

Prior to the 2019 season, Meeks was released by Jacksonville. A month later, he signed to Los Angeles’ practice squad.

Meeks, the 6-foot-2 and 197 pound corner, plays with reaction skills, intelligence and toughness, projecting best in a Cover 3 system. His skillset, on-field demeanor and hustle are all traits that should be highly coveted by the coaching staff to make the team as a depth piece and special teams ace.

Projecting the Chargers’ cornerback depth chart

The Los Angeles Chargers cornerback room is led by Casey Hayward and Chris Harris, Jr.

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been breaking down the depth chart at each position for the Chargers.

Running back

Wide receiver

Tight end

Offensive line

Defensive line

Linebacker

Today, we examine and project the cornerback room, which is one of the stronger units for Los Angeles heading into the 2020 season.

CB: Casey Hayward

Hayward piled together 32 tackles, eight passes defended and two interceptions over the course of 16 games last season. His stats may not resemble high level of play, but quarterbacks have learned by now not to test Hayward. The 30-year old has been a key presence in the secondary, earning the highest coverage grade (93.1) among cornerbacks the past five seasons. Lining up across the league’s top wide receivers, “Showcase” has stymied nearly every single one. Heading into this season, he will remain the No. 1 cornerback on the outside.

Backup(s): Brandon Facyson, Quenton Meeks

Slot CB: Chris Harris, Jr.

According to NFL.com research, the Chargers allowed nine yards per slot target last season, which was the fifth-highest average in the league. They also ranked No. 30 in completion percentage to slot targets. Because of the lack of production, a change needed to be made which led to the signing of Harris earlier this offseason. Harris projects as the starting slot corner, overtaking Desmond King in that role. Harris is capable of playing on the outside along with some safety, but we can expect to see him primarily on the inside. For King, he is a bit of mystery now that he won’t be the starting slot corner after he experienced a rocky 2019 campaign. Expect him to play an interchangeable role with snaps coming in the slot and as a sub-package linebacker, along with special teams duties.

Backup(s): Desmond King

CB: Michael Davis

Davis earned the Week 1 starting job in 2019, but he was limited to 12 games after missing two of them due to an injury and the others to a suspension after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. He’s appeared in 43 games over the course of the past three seasons with 21 of them being starts. Since then, he’s totaled 107 tackles, 18 passes defensed and two interceptions. Davis will be in competition for this spot with Brandon Facyson, who started here while the former BYU product missed some action. Facyson did show promise in coverage and as a tackler in his four starts. However, Davis is the model that Gus Bradley covets at the position and his experience in the role should ensure he retains his job. Quenton Meeks was mentioned as an underdog who could make the team as a depth piece.

Backup(s): Brandon Facyson, Quenton Meeks

3 underdog players who could make Chargers roster

The Los Angeles Chargers have a talented roster, but there are a few under-the-radar players who could crack the 55-man roster.

With the rosters being expanded to 55 players now, the competition to make the squad becomes even more heated. Every year we see a few make the team which no one projected.

With that being said, here are three players, not including undrafted free agents, that could find themselves on the roster heading into the Week 1 matchup against the Bengals.

OT Storm Norton

The Chargers didn’t sign a proven veteran left tackle in free agency or draft one, which means they are banking on their in-house options to fill the void. Norton, Pro Football Focus’ highest graded XFL offensive lineman, joins Sam Tevi, Trey Pipkins and Trent Scott as members fighting for the job.

Norton possesses a towering frame at 6-foot-8 and 307 pounds with excellent athleticism and movement skills in pass protection and the run-blocking department. He is suited best for a zone scheme, which is what the offense is expected to shift to.

Even though he doesn’t have much starting experience at the NFL level, he is the model that Campen would love to work with and develop just like how he did in Green Bay with their offensive linemen. Norton is capable of serving as a depth piece with high upside to start over time.

DT PJ Johnson

The nose tackle position was addressed after the departure of Brandon Mebane with the signing of Linval Joseph and re-signing of Damion Square. That doesn’t mean the work ends there. Last season, the Chargers carried three on the roster, which means one could be up for grabs.

Johnson was selected by the Lions in the seventh-round of the 2019 NFL draft. He was with the team throughout the preseason, but was released on cutdown day. The former Arizona product was signed to Los Angeles’ practice squad last December.

Johnson, the enormous defensive lineman, has great upper body strength to dispose blockers and make an impact against the pass and run. The 6-foot-4 and 335 pound nose tackle finished his collegiate career with 31 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.

CB Quenton Meeks

It was thought that the Chargers were going to bring in a cornerback this offseason to compete with Michael Davis and Brandon Facyson on the outside opposite side of Casey Hayward. However, they came away empty-handed.

After a successful collegiate career with Stanford, Meeks was signed by the Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2018. He spent some time on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster. There, he amassed eight tackles and two passes defensed.

Prior to the 2019 season, Meeks was released by Jacksonville. A month later, he signed to Los Angeles’ practice squad.

Meeks, the 6-foot-2 and 197 pound corner, plays with reaction skills, intelligence and toughness, projecting best in a Cover 3 system. He skillset, on-field demeanor and hustle are all traits that should be highly coveted by the coaching staff to make the team as a depth piece and special teams ace.