Tag: Roster Move

Packers re-sign CB David Long Jr. to practice squad, release RB Kenyan Drake

The Green Bay Packers made a swap of veterans on the practice squad on Friday, re-signing cornerback David Long Jr. and releasing running back Kenyan Drake. 

The Green Bay Packers made a swap of veterans on the practice squad on Friday, re-signing cornerback David Long Jr. and releasing running back Kenyan Drake.

Long’s return will provide an opportunity for the Packers to elevate him to the gameday roster for Sunday’s NFC Wild Card Round showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. Additional depth at cornerback might be needed with Jaire Alexander questionable to play because of an ankle injury and Eric Stokes on injured reserve.

The Packers claimed Long off waivers from the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 5. He played in three games (vs. Bucs, at Panthers, at Vikings) and was on the field for 14 special teams snaps as part of the 53-man roster for the Packers. Of his 14 snaps, 13 came covering kickoff returns.

Long previously played 190 defensive snaps while with the Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders this season. A third-round pick in 2019, Long played in 52 games over four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.

Drake became expendable when Emanuel Wilson returned off injured reserve. A.J. Dillon is doubtful to play Sunday in Dallas, but Wilson and Patrick Taylor are both healthy behind starter Aaron Jones at running back.

Behind Alexander at cornerback, the Packers have Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell on the 53-man roster. Zyon Gilbert and Anthony Johnson are first-year cornerbacks on the practice squad. Long is now the most experienced practice squad option.

The Packers will announce practice squad elevations on Saturday. If Long is to be available Sunday, he’ll first be elevated Saturday.

Colts elevate WR Ethan Fernea from the practice squad

The Colts also elevated WR Ethan Fernea from the practice squad.

The Indianapolis Colts elevated wide receiver Ethan Fernea from the practice squad to the active roster for the Week 15 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team announced Friday.

After promoting wide receiver D.J. Montgomery to the active roster, the Colts will now have six wideouts on the gameday roster Saturday when they host the Steelers.

Fernea has been with the Colts since initially signing as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2022 NFL draft. He was placed on the Reserve/Injured list in August and then was waived with an injury settlement a few days later.

Fernea returned to the practice squad in December. This is his first elevation from the practice squad.

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Packers release RB James Robinson, sign RB Ellis Meriweather to practice squad

The Packers swapped a veteran RB (James Robinson) for a rookie RB (Ellis Meriweather) on the practice squad on Monday.

The Green Bay Packers made a change on the practice squad on Monday, swapping veteran running back James Robinson for rookie running back Ellis Meriweather.

Robinson was signed by the Packers on Oct. 17. He spent three weeks on the practice squad but was not elevated to the gameday roster.

Meriweather, 24, is an undrafted free agent out of UMass. After a rookie tryout with the Packers, Meriweather signed with the New Orleans Saints in May and spent all of training camp with the Saints. He rushed 22 times for 71 yards and caught eight passes on 11 targets for 48 yards and a touchdown during three preseason games.

During his final collegiate season, Meriweather rushed 150 times for 575 yards and three scores. He rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored six touchdowns during the 2021 season.

With Aaron Jones finally healthy, A.J. Dillon playing better and rookie Emanuel Wilson coming of a 43-yard performance against the Rams, the Packers no longer needed a veteran emergency option at running back and could go with the young, developmental type.

Here is Meriweather’s RAS card:

Meriweather had two runs over 10 yards and forced five missed tackles during the preseason. He spent a couple of days on the Saints practice squad after being released on final cuts.

Colts elevate CB Chris Lammons to active roster for Week 9

Chris Lammons gets the call-up in Week 9.

The Indianapolis Colts elevated cornerback Chris Lammons from the practice squad to the active roster for the Week 9 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, the team announced Saturday.

This move comes as no surprise considering the Colts will be without starter Julius Brents, who was ruled out due to a quad injury he suffered in Week 7 against the Cleveland Browns.

Lammons gets the call-up after Tony Brown struggled mightily against the New Orleans Saints.

With Lammons being called up, the Colts will start Kenny Moore II and rookie Jaylon Jones while defensive coordinator Gus Bradley will have to make a decision between Lammons, Brown and Darrell Baker Jr. for the nickel role.

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Packers sign OL Michael Jordan to practice squad, release TE Austin Allen

The Packers added experienced depth along the interior offensive line with a practice squad signing on Tuesday.

The Green Bay Packers made two alterations to the practice squad on Tuesday, releasing tight end Austin Allen to make way for the signing of offensive lineman Michael Jordan.

Jordan, a fourth-round pick out of Ohio State in 2019, has appeared in 55 games including 29 starts. He’ll provide depth for the interior offensive line on the team’s practice squad.

Last season, Jordan was on the field for 54 snaps on offense and 67 on special teams over 17 games with the Carolina Panthers. He started nine games as a rookie in Cincinnati and 10 each in 2020 (Cincinnati) and 2021 (Carolina). At Ohio State, Jordan played both guard and center. All but a handful of his snaps at the NFL level have come at left guard.

The Panthers released Jordan at final cutdowns on Aug. 29.

To make room for Jordan, the Packers released Allen, who arrived in Green Bay last January. He was the only tight end on the practice squad. In Week 1, the Packers played rookies Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft and Ben Sims at tight end, with Josiah Deguara playing some tight end and fullback.

Colts officially sign RB Kenyan Drake, place WR Ethan Fernea on IR

The Colts officially signed RB Kenyan Drake and placed WR Ethan Fernea on the season-ending injured reserve list.

The Indianapolis Colts officially signed running back Kenyan Drake and placed wide receiver Ethan Fernea on the season-ending injured reserve list, the team announced Saturday.

Drake’s agency announced the signing Friday afternoon, adding some veteran depth to the backfield after Zack Moss underwent surgery to repair a broken arm while Jonathan Taylor remains on the PUP list.

Drake is likely to get plenty of run during the preseason while the Colts continue to ride the hot hands at training camp with Evan Hull, Deon Jackson, Jake Funk and Zavier Scott.

The Fernea injury is a bit of a surprise considering it wasn’t reported before this news release. However, the injury is apparently significant enough to the point where Fernea will miss the entire season. He, along with rookie offensive tackle Jake Witt, were both placed on the season-ending list before Saturday night’s training camp practice.

Colts sign WR Amari Rodgers

The Colts signed WR Amari Rodgers and waived WR Johnny King.

The Indianapolis Colts signed free-agent wide receiver Amari Rodgers and waived wide receiver Johnny King, the team announced Wednesday.

Rodgers, 23, was a third-round pick by the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 NFL draft. He spent two seasons in Green Bay, appearing in 26 games and making one start.

Rodgers spent the 2022 season with the Houston Texans, appearing in six games and making one start. Overall, in his career, Rodgers has recorded 20 receptions for 249 yards and one touchdown.

King signed with the Colts this offseason as an undrafted free-agent rookie out of Southeast Missouri State.

Chiefs check-in: WR John Ross retires, offense practices trickery in St. Joseph

Take a look at all the best stories about Kansas City’s training camp practices and more on today’s edition of #Chiefs check-in:

Chiefs Check-in is our online newsletter at Chiefs Wire, running Monday-Friday mornings. Subscribe to get more Chiefs news delivered to your inbox every day.

The Kansas City Chiefs offense has made headlines all week with impressive videos of their training camp practices coming out on a daily basis. They ran an incredible double-pass during Wednesday’s session that may portend more use of Andy Reid’s signature gadget plays in their 2023 campaign.

However, their loss of receiver John Ross to an unexpected retirement will leave them with one less speed merchant to utilize with these unique looks when they take the field for September’s regular season kickoff.

Read stories about Ross, the Chiefs’ offense, and more in today’s edition of Chiefs check-in for the morning of Thursday, July 27th:

Chiefs WR John Ross has unexpectedly retired

Chiefs wide receiver John Ross unexpectedly decided to retire on Wednesday. | from: @EdEastonJr

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver John Ross is being placed on the reserve/retired list, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.

Ross, who is 27 years old, was a first-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 and is known for holding the record for the fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.

His 4.22-second time in the 40 led to his selection with the ninth overall choice in the NFL draft. Ross spent four seasons in Cincinnati, followed by one year with the New York Giants in 2021. After sitting out the 2022 season, Ross signed a futures contract with the Chiefs before the start of training camp in hopes of attempting a comeback.

Ross has a stat line of 62 catches, 957 yards and 11 touchdowns in 37 career games. His talents won’t soon be forgotten by fans around the NFL who will forever compare the league’s fastest prospects to the standard he set back in 2017.

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Browns restructure TE Harrison Bryant’s contract

The #Browns got creative with tight end Harrison Bryants contract to reach a mutually beneficial agreement ahead of the 2023 season

The Cleveland Browns gained some salary cap flexibility on Thursday by re-working tight end Harrison Bryant’s contract ahead of the 2023 season. News of the re-worked deal broke on Twitter, where details of the agreement came to light in relatively short order.

Instead of a $2.7 million non-guaranteed payday for the talented tight end, his new deal includes just over $1.7 million guaranteed, with incentives to push it to a total value of $4 million.

This gives Bryant some security in the final year of his contract and gives him more incentive to play at an elite level if his pending free agency in 2024 hasn’t already lit a fire under him.

A crucial piece of the Browns’ offensive attack, Bryant is behind David Njoku on Cleveland’s depth chart, but will likely find a new home as a starter on another team if he continues on his impressive trajectory next season.

His utility as both a blocker and receiver has gained fan-favorite status in northern Ohio, and with this new deal, he will have plenty to prove to both the Browns faithful and prospective suitors for his pending free agency.