Tag: roster moves

Ex-Saints kick returner, LSU track star Cyril Grayson gets shot with Bucs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed former New Orleans Saints kick returner and ex-LSU Tigers track star Cyril Grayson from the Dallas Cowboys.

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A former New Orleans Saints wide receiver has a big opportunity, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Cyril Grayson off of the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. Grayson spent the summer with the Saints competing for a roster spot with rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris, though he ultimately was waived during roster cuts.

Grayson’s background as a track-and-field athlete was on clear display during the Saints preseason games. He competed for the LSU Tigers in college before trying his hand in the NFL, initialy joining the Seattle Seahawks before the Saints brought him in for an extended tryout. He worked out for a few different teams before the Cowboys added him to their practice squad.

It’s great to see Grayson get this opportunity, even if it’s coming with a rival squad in the NFC South. But the Buccaneers are eliminated from playoff contention and need to evaluate all possible options as they enter the second year of Bruce Arians’ tenure as head coach. If Grayson can make an impact in the final two weeks of the season, it could turn into a longer stay with Tampa Bay.

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Saints make several roster moves before MNF game vs. Colts

The New Orleans Saints claimed Janoris Jenkins off of waivers, promoted Taylor Stallworth and T.J. Green from the practice squad on Monday.

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The New Orleans Saints shuffled their 53-man roster and 10-man practice squad on Monday, hours before their prime-time kickoff with the Indianapolis Colts. Here’s the breakdown.

Veteran cornerback Johnson Bademosi was designated to the injured reserve list, after having suddenly appeared on the Saints injury report with a foot ailment. That held him out of practice on Saturday and apparently ended his season, which is a big blow to the Saints special teams units.

Additionally, New Orleans waived journeyman defensive tackle T.Y. McGill. McGill once played for Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen at North Carolina State, and their brief reunion was a cool storyline. However, the Saints saw enough out of the players on their practice squad to give them the nod for Monday night’s game.

Second-year nose tackle Taylor Stallworth was called up from the Saints practice squad after outperforming McGill in practice over the last week; he logged 300-plus snaps a year ago before exceptional depth along the defensive line demoted him this season. He’s a big body with NFL experience, and should help fill the void left by Sheldon Rankins, who also landed on injured reserve last week after injuring his ankle early against the San Francisco 49ers.

Additionally, the Saints promoted practice squad defensive back T.J. Green. Green figures to contribute immediately on special teams in Bademosi’s place, though injuries to the secondary could force the Saints to get him onto the field sooner than planned. Starting strong safety Vonn Bell and backup cornerback Patrick Robinson were both preemptively ruled out for this game.

The Saints also added a new player, claiming ex-New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins off of waivers. But because they play on Monday night, Jenkins will not join his new team until Tuesday, when they will be required to waive another player in a corresponding move. They attempted to claim former Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens pass rusher Terrell Suggs, but were denied by the Kansas City Chiefs, who had a higher waiver claim priority. It’s not ideal to be tweaking the roster so often this late in the season, but injuries and subpar positional play have forced New Orleans’ hand. At least they’re being proactive.

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Saints claim veteran CB Janoris Jenkins off of waivers from the Giants

The New Orleans Saints claimed veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins after he was waived by the New York Jenkins with an injury designation.

The New Orleans Saints claimed veteran cornerback Janoris Jenkins off of waivers from the New York Giants on Monday, as first reported by NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo. Because the Saints play on Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts, the formal acquisition of Jenkins and corresponding roster move will be delayed until Tuesday.

Jenkins was waived by the Giants with an injury designation after injuring his ankle during a recent game with the Philadelphia Eagles. His release also followed a social media dust-up between Jenkins and another user while he was receiving medical treatment during Giants practice.

Hopefully that sort of misbehavior is behind him. Jenkins was arguably New York’s best defensive player this season, having racked up a team-leading 14 passes defensed (including 4 interceptions) in just 13 games.

He’ll be reunited with former Giants teammate and Saints cornerback Eli Apple, and may push Apple for the starting job opposite Marshon Lattimore. Apple had success earlier this season as the Saints’ number-two option, but recent struggles and a rash of penalties made the addition of Jenkins worth considering for New Orleans.

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Saints shuffle practice squad, sign former Giants and Texans TE Jerell Adams

The New Orleans Saints practice squad added former New York Giants and Houston Texans tight end Jerell Adams, an athlete who needs a shot.

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The New Orleans Saints aren’t finished tweaking their roster just yet. As first reported by The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell, on Thursday the team waived practice squad offensive lineman Nate Wozniak to open a spot for fourth-year tight end Jerell Adams. This follows a concussion to starting tight end Jared Cook in last week’s game with the San Francisco 49ers, as well as the previous release of reserve tight end Dan Arnold.

Adams first entered the NFL as a sixth-round draft pick out of South Carolina, selected by the New York Giants back in 2016; he had boosted his draft stock before that by timing the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds at 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, the best mark for a tight end at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He played sparingly as a rookie, and was outranked the following year by first-round pick Evan Engram and veteran free agent pickup Rhett Ellison. Adams was waived by New York during roster cuts before the 2018 season.

He went on to spend the better part of two years on the Houston Texans practice squad, having been just released on Dec. 3 before the Saints called him up. There are practice snaps to go around with Arnold out of town and Cook on the mend, with just one healthy, experienced tight end (backup Josh Hill) and a converted defensive lineman (Mitchell Loewen) ahead of him. If Adams still has some athleticism to spare, he’s in good position to take advantage of the opportunity before him.

For the curious, here’s how the Saints practice squad shakes out now:

  • WR Emmanuel Butler
  • WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey
  • DT Taylor Stallworth
  • OL Derrick Kelly
  • OL John Leglue
  • RB Taquan Mizzell
  • DB T.J. Green
  • LB Andrew Dowell
  • TE/DL Mitchell Loewen
  • TE Jerell Adams

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Saints make four roster moves, send Rankins and Davenport to I.R.

The New Orleans Saints lost Sheldon Rankins and Marcus Davenport, but added free agents Noah Spence and Ty McGill in four roster moves.

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Injuries forced the New Orleans Saints to make four roster moves on Wednesday, with defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (ankle) and defensive end Marcus Davenport (foot) both landing on injured reserve. In their place, the Saints signed veteran free agents Noah Spence, a pass rusher, and T.Y. McGill, an interior lineman.

Spence’s addition isn’t very surprising given the interest the Saints have maintained in him, going back to the months before the 2016 NFL Draft. He met with the team several times and was put through a private workout, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sniped the Saints by picking Spence before they had the chance. A history of shoulder injuries and inconsistent play — plus coaching staff turnover — resulted in Spence getting released by Tampa Bay earlier this year.

As for McGill: he may appear like a random pickup, but Saints defensive line coach Ryan Nielsen knows him well. Nielsen coached McGill at N.C. State when they were both members of the Wolfpack from 2013 to 2014, when Nielsen held the same position on that staff while doubling as their recruiting coordinator. McGill’s N.C. State career ended with 110 tackles and 10 total sacks after benefiting from Nielsen’s tutelage, and their reunion now gives Nielsen an opportunity to see how his protege has progressed after some time in the NFL.

McGill’s early-week arrival also gives him time to prove he can play, or is at least better than the depth the Saints already have. Second-year defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth is on the practice squad after logging 300-plus snaps last season, and the Saints can promote him on game day if they feel he’s shown more than McGill has in practice. If McGill impresses, they can hold onto both players.

Because the Saints play on ‘Monday Night Football’ with the Indianapolis Colts this week, their practice schedule and injury report rollout are going to be arriving a day later than fans are used to. So we won’t find out much more on any of these players until the first Saints injury report is released on Thursday, rather than the typical Wednesday.

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Saints lose tight end Jason Vander Laan to I.R., re-sign Michael Ola

The New Orleans Saints reported two roster moves, losing backup tight end Jason Vander Laan to injured reserve and re-signing Michael Ola.

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The official NFL transactions wire for Friday, Dec. 6 listed two roster moves for the New Orleans Saints: the loss of backup tight end Jason Vander Laan to injured reserve with a vague head issue, and the re-signing of veteran left tackle Michael Ola. ESPN’s Field Yates first reported the news of both changes to the Saints’ active roster.

Vander Laan only played a handful of snaps in two games for the Saints after being called up from the practice squad, standing out as a blocker on running downs. He injured his head in Thursday’s practice and did not participate in Friday’s session before his season ended.

New Orleans waived third-year tight end Dan Arnold on Wednesday to make room on the roster for free agent linebacker Manti Te’o, and he was claimed off of waivers by the Arizona Cardinals, removing him as an option for the Saints. They’re running thin at the position with just two healthy tight ends on the active roster (starter Jared Cook and backup Josh HIll) and a defensive lineman-turned-tight end on the practice squad (Mitchell Loewen).

Ola logged 32 snaps with the Saints last season as a backup to Terron Armstead at left tackle, but a late-season high-ankle sprain ended his year. He recovered and competed for a spot on the depth chart throughout the summer on New Orleans’ 90-man offseason roster, but was released during roster cuts in August. This is his sixth season in the NFL and his eighth playing football professionally, having started out with the Arena League’s Jacksonville Sharks and CFL’s Montreal Alouettes back in 2012.

Armstead is battling his own high-ankle sprain and is officially questionable to suit up for Sunday’s game with the San Francisco 49ers, so Ola’s return gives the Saints some experienced depth at the position. Last week, they started journeyman guard Patrick Omameh in Armstead’s spot, with undrafted rookie Ethan Greenidge as an emergency option behind him.

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Saints re-sign practice squad OL/TE convert Nate Wozniak

The New Orleans Saints re-signed Nate Wozniak, a collegiate tight end they converted to left tackle, to their practice squad on Wednesday.

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The New Orleans Saints offensive line received some added depth on Wednesday, with Amie Just of Nola.com reporting that the team re-signed offensive lineman Nate Wozniak. Wozniak, the former 6-foot-9 Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end, learned to play left tackle while with the Saints from May 2018 to August 2019. He spent the intervening months with stints on the Minnesota Vikings and Atlanta Falcons practice squads, as well as trying out for a handful of teams.

Wozniak clearly has the size and length to play in the NFL, but rehearsed technique has eluded him so far. He never progressed beyond lining up at left tackle with the third-string offensive line while in New Orleans through two offseasons, and probably still needs a lot of work before he’ll be game-ready. The good news is that stepping into a game against NFL pass rushers shouldn’t happen for a while, with several players between him and the starting unit.

Here’s a projection of what the Saints depth chart looks like right now at offensive tackle:

  1. LT Terron Armstead (injured)
  2. RT Ryan Ramczyk
  3. LG/LT Andrus Peat (injured)
  4. LG/LT Patrick Omameh
  5. LT Ethan Greenidge
  6. OL John Leglue (practice squad)
  7. RT Derrick Kelly (practice squad
  8. LT Nate Wozniak

We’re still waiting on news of who left the Saints practice squad to create room for Wozniak, who would be the third offensive lineman on the unit along with Leglue and Kelly, both rookies. So stay tuned for the official NFL transactions wire to update with that information.

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Irish in the NFL: Te’o Back With Saints

Manti Te’o is back to work in the NFL as the former Heisman Trophy runner-up is going back to work with the New Orleans Saints. Originally a fourth round pick of the Chargers, Te’o spent the last two seasons with New Orleans where he recorded 80 …

Manti Te’o is back to work in the NFL as the former Heisman Trophy runner-up is going back to work with the New Orleans Saints.

Originally a fourth round pick of the Chargers, Te’o spent the last two seasons with New Orleans where he recorded 80 tackles and seven tackles for loss in that time.

Te’o’s signing likely has to do with Kiko Alonso leaving the most-recent Saints game, a Thanksgiving Night win over the Falcons, with a thigh injury.

Te’o joins a roster thought by many to be as good as there is in the NFC. His girlfriend (pause for dramatic effect) Jovi Nicole posted her excitement of the news on Instagram late Tuesday afternoon.

Te’o will turn 29 on January 26.

Saints re-sign veteran linebacker Manti Te’o to free agent contract

The New Orleans Saints brought back veteran linebacker Manti Te’o on Tuesday, who had been a free agent since his contract expired in March.

The New Orleans Saints have re-signed former starting linebacker Manti Te’o on Tuesday, as first reported by Rob DeMello of KHON 2-Honolulu and confirmed by Sean Fazende of FOX 8-New Orleans. Te’o has been a free agent since his Saints contract expired earlier this year, receiving little interest on the open market. He met with the Oakland Raiders back in March but did not sign with the team, instead returning to Hawaii where he continued training in hopes of an NFL return while dabbling in real estate.

So what prompted the Saints to bring Te’o back in early December? Starting linebackers A.J. Klein and Kiko Alonso exited last Thursday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons with separate injuries, forcing special teamers Craig Robertson and Stephone Anthony into the lineup. We won’t have anything concrete on Klein or Alonso’s status until Wednesday’s injury report, but Te’o’s addition gives the Saints an experienced player who knows the defensive scheme inside and out.

Te’o led the Saints defense with 15 tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage back in 2017, though he was frequently inactive for much of the 2018 season while New Orleans enjoyed a streak of good health at the position. It’s impossible to guess right now how much Te’o will play moving forward (if at all), but his past success in the same situation has to be reassuring to the Saints and their fans. Expect a corresponding move to Te’o’s re-signing to be reported on the official league transactions wire on Wednesday.

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Chargers make pair of roster moves

The Chargers made two roster moves on Monday.

The Los Angeles Chargers made two roster moves on Monday.

The Chargers promoted cornerback Tevaughn Campbell to the active roster. The team also signed linebacker Malik Jefferson to the practice squad, the franchise announced.

The Bolts were in need of filling a roster spot and adding more depth to the cornerback position after Michael Davis was suspended for a violation of the substance abuse policy last week.

Campbell joined the Chargers back in September. This will mark the second time that he’s been called up to the active roster. Prior to signing with L.A., Campbell was with the Jets after four years in the Canadian Football League.

Below is the official team statement:

The Los Angeles Chargers promoted CB Tevaughn Campbell to the active roster, the organization announced on Monday. The Bolts also signed LB Malik Jefferson to the practice squad.

Campbell returns to the active roster for the second time this season. He was originally signed to the Chargers practice squad on Sept. 11, 2019. Jefferson has appeared in 21 games since being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2018 draft. He appeared in 12 games for the Bengals in 2018 and then played in nine games for the Cleveland Browns this season.

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