Tag: Sammis Reyes

Commanders sign defensive lineman Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi

Ndubuisi is a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.

Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters remains busy. On Monday, Peters added running back Jeremy McNichols and quarterback Jeff Driskel to Washington’s offseason roster. On Tuesday, Peters added linebacker Mykal Walker.

On Wednesday, Peters did it again, signing defensive lineman Haggai Chisom Ndubuisi. If that name doesn’t sound familiar, it’s because Ndubuisi is from Nigeria and a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program.

The 23-year-old defensive lineman is 6 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 298 pounds. He spent last season with the Denver Broncos’ practice squad. In 2022, Ndubuisi was assigned to the Arizona Cardinals as an offensive lineman, appearing in one preseason game before he was released.

Ndubuisi has an incredible story. Growing up in Nigeria, he played soccer and basketball before seeing the NFL on YouTube and he was hooked. Unfortunately, Nigeria didn’t have many football teams, so he practiced alone, or would bring his friends to fields to re-enact what he would see in the videos.

In 2021, he received a break when joined the UpRise Academy, which helps identify and develop African talent and was co-founded by former Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora.

As a part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program, Ndubuisi will not count against Washington’s 90-man offseason roster.

The Commanders have seen players from the international program make the final roster. In recent years, David Bada and Sammis Reyes were on Washington’s roster.

Ex-Jaguars TE Sammis Reyes explains abrupt retirement from NFL

Chilean-born tight end Sammis Reyes retired Sunday, three months after signing with the Jaguars.

Tight end Sammis Reyes called it a career on Sunday, retiring from the NFL just three months after signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in May.

It was an abrupt end to the career of the first and only Chilean-born player in the league. On Monday night, Reyes posted a statement on social media explaining his decision to walk away from football.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv8aQLypGQA/

“I am here today making this video because about two weeks ago I suffered a concussion that has lingered for a little bit more time than I expected,” Reyes says at one point in the video. “It was after seven days of no sleep and painful symptoms that I realized I was doing myself and my family a disservice.

“Today I sit here with conflicting emotions because I have decided to retire from the NFL. It hurts to not know how far my talents could have taken me, but I do know one thing: I will never forgive myself if I can’t be the same husband, the same son, the same friend, and the same person that I was before if I don’t take care of my health.”

Reyes, 27, signed with the Washington Commanders in 2021 and spent one season with the team, primarily contributing on special teams. He was released by Washington just prior to the 2022 season and spent the majority of the year on the Chicago Bears practice squad.

In Jacksonville, Reyes faced an uphill climb to make the 53-man roster with Evan Engram, Brenton Strange, Luke Farrell, and Gerrit Prince ahead of him on the depth chart.

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Jaguars sign former Rams, Vikings OT Bobby Evans

The Jaguars signed veteran offensive lineman Bobby Evans and placed tight end Sammis Reyes on the reserve/retired list.

The Jacksonville Jaguars signed veteran offensive tackle Bobby Evan and placed tight end Sammis Reyes on the reserve/retired list, the team announced Sunday.

Evans, 26, was a third round pick of the Los Angeles Rams in the 2019 NFL draft and played in 35 games with the team before getting released late in the 2022 season.

As a rookie, Evans took over as the Rams’ starting right tackle in the latter half of the year. However, he played just one offensive snap in his second season and bounced around as a reserve lineman in his last two seasons, earning time at both guard and tackle.

After getting cut by the Rams, Evans briefly joined the Minnesota Vikings practice squad and spent the first week of training camp with the team before getting released earlier this month.

Reyes, 27, signed with the Jaguars in May and was out of action for a preseason game Saturday night while in the concussion protocol. No further information about his decision to retire is known at this point.

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Jaguars 2023 roster review: TE Sammis Reyes

The Jaguars added Sammis Reyes, the first Chilean-born player in NFL history, to their tight end room this offseason.

The brunt of the offseason is in the books and training camp is still off on the horizon. Join us in the NFL’s dead zone with a player-by-player review of the Jaguars roster ahead of the 2023 season.

A quick look at Sammis Reyes is all it takes to understand why the Washington Commanders made him the first ever Chilean-born NFL player, despite his limited football experience.

At 6’5, 260 pounds with a 40-inch vertical jump and 4.65 speed, he’s about as athletic as any tight end in the league. But after two years in the NFL, that hasn’t been enough to earn him much playing time.

After getting released by Washington just ahead of the 2022 season, he spent most of the year on the Chicago Bears’ practice squad. In May, he was added to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ roster.

While the Jaguars added Brenton Strange in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft, there’s little depth at the tight end position behind Evan Engram. A year ago, Chris Manhertz and Dan Arnold filled the two spots on the depth chart behind Engram, but both left the Jaguars in free agency.

Contract (2023): $940,000 base salary, $940,000 cap hit.

Acquired: Jaguars signed Reyes to a contract on May 16, 2023.

PFF grades: 

  • 50.5 (WAS – 2021)

Statistics:

  • Two tackles (2021)

Highlight:

Quote: “Chilean’s have a lot of pride. We work really hard and I know it’s an honor for me to be here. At the same time, I know I’m setting the stage for the guys that are coming next.” – Reyes

Calvin Ridley (No. 0) Travis Etienne Jr. (No. 1) Rayshawn Jenkins (No. 2) C.J. Beathard (No. 3) Tank Bigsby (No. 4) Andre Cisco (No. 5)
Chris Claybrooks (No. 6) Zay Jones (No. 7) Logan Cooke (No. 9) Parker Washington (No. 11) James McCourt (No. 12) Christian Kirk (No. 13)
Kendric Pryor (No. 14) Tim Jones (No. 15) Trevor Lawrence (No. 16) Evan Engram (No. 17) Nathan Rourke (No. 18) Sammis Reyes (No. 19)
Daniel Thomas (No. 20) Latavious Brini (No. 21) JaMycal Hasty (No. 22) Foyesade Oluokun (No. 23) Snoop Conner (No. 24) D’Ernest Johnson (No. 25)
Antonio Johnson (No. 26) Divaad Wilson (No. 27) Tevaughn Campbell (No. 29) Montaric Brown (No. 30) Darious Williams (No. 31) Tyson Campbell (No. 32)
Devin Lloyd (No. 33) Gregory Junior (No. 34) Ayo Oyelola (No. 35) Christian Braswell (No. 36) Tre Herndon (No. 37) Qadree Ollison (No. 38)
Jamal Agnew (No. 39) Erick Hallett (No. 40) Josh Allen (No. 41) Andrew Wingard (No. 42) Kaleb Hayes (No. 43) Derek Parish (No. 43)
Travon Walker (No. 44) K’Lavon Chaisson (No. 45) Ross Matiscik (No. 46) De’Shaan Dixon (No. 47) Chad Muma (No. 48) Leonard Taylor (No. 49)
Shaquille Quarterman (No. 50) Ventrell Miller (No. 51) DaVon Hamilton (No. 52) Willie Taylor III (No. 53) DJ Coleman (No. 54) Dequan Jackson (No. 55)
Yasir Abdullah (No. 56) Caleb Johnson (No. 57) Raymond Vohasek (No. 59) Darryl Williams (No. 60) Samuel Jackson (No. 62) Coy Cronk (No. 64)
Chandler Brewer (No. 67) Brandon Scherff (No. 68) Tyler Shatley (No. 69) Cole Van Lanen (No. 70) Walker Little (No. 72) Blake Hance (No. 73)
Cam Robinson (No. 74) Cooper Hodges (No. 75) Anton Harrison (No. 76) Josh Wells (No. 77) Ben Bartch (No. 78) Luke Fortner (No. 79)
Kevin Austin Jr. (No. 80) Seth Williams (No. 81) Elijah Cooks (No. 84) Brenton Strange (No. 85) Gerrit Prince (No. 86) Jaray Jenkins (No. 87)
Oliver Martin (No. 88) Luke Farrell (No. 89) Henry Mondeaux (No. 90) Jordan Smith (No. 92) Tyler Lacy (No. 93) Folorunso Fatukasi (No. 94)
Roy Robertson-Harris (No. 95) Adam Gotsis (No. 96) Nick Thurman (No. 97) Michael Dogbe (No. 98) Jeremiah Ledbetter (No. 99) Brandon McManus
Jacob Harris

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Jaguars sign former Commanders TE Sammis Reyes

The Jaguars signed Sammis Reyes, who made history in 2021 by becoming the NFL’s first ever Chilean-born player.

The Jacksonville Jaguars added a tight end to the roster Tuesday, signing former Washington Commanders special teamer Sammis Reyes.

Reyes, 27, became the first Chilean-born player in NFL history when he signed with Washington in 2021. He appeared in 11 games with the team, but contributed mostly on special teams, recording two tackles in his first season.

He was released by the Commanders in August 2022 after a hamstring injured landed him on injured reserve in training camp. He was scooped up by the Chicago Bears and spent some time on the team’s practice squad, but never appeared in a regular season game with Chicago.

Reyes played college basketball at a few schools, including Hawaii and Tulane. He switched his focus to football while in his mid 20s and it didn’t take long for him to impress scouts with his athleticism.

Jacksonville addressed its lack of depth at the tight end position by drafting Brenton Strange in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft. However, the team doesn’t have much after Evan Engram and Strange. Reyes will is currently set to compete with 2021 fifth-round pick Luke Farrell, 2022 undrafted free agent signing Gerrit Prince, and 2023 undrafted free agent signing Leonard Taylor for a roster spot.

To make room for Reyes on the roster, the Jaguars released safety Deionte Thompson.

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Highlights of the Eagles 9 undrafted free agents

We’re collegiate highlights of the Philadelphia Eagles’ nine undrafted free agents.

The 2023 NFL draft has concluded, and after some key signings and tryout invites, the Eagles roster sits at 89 players ahead of Day 2 of the team’s rookie minicamp.

Howie Roseman has been open about previous undrafted free agent classes, with several big-named stars holding second-day draft grades.

Recent undrafted free agents who’ve had game action with Philadelphia include Reed Blankenship, Britain Covey, Josh Jobe, Corey Clement, Sua Opeta, Nate Herbig, Kayode Awosika, Joe Ostman, Jack Stoll, Brett Toth, Greg Ward, Marvin Wilson, T.J. Edwards, and future Hall of Famer Jason Peters, who originally signed with the Bills.

Here are highlights of the nine undrafted free agents.

What’s next for the Eagles following the 2023 NFL draft

What’s next for the Philadelphia Eagles following the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL draft is in the books, but plenty of offseason action is still on the way for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Outside of the on-field action with rookie minicamp and organized team activities (OTAs), the NFL is also gearing up for its 2023 schedule release.

The Eagles welcomed seven newly drafted rookies to the roster, including defensive tackle Jalen Carter,  edge rusher Nolan Smith, offensive guard Tyler Steen, safety Sydney Brown, cornerback Kelee Ringo, quarterback Tanner McKee and defensive tackle Moro Ojomo.

Philadelphia also signed nine undrafted free agents.

Here’s a look at the Eagles’ upcoming 2023 off-season slate, including rookie minicamp, OTAs, and mandatory minicamp.

Highlights, takeaways from Eagles first rookie minicamp practice

We’re looking at some of the highlights and key takeaways from the Philadelphia Eagles’ first day of rookie minicamp

With the NFL draft and undrafted free agent signings now complete, the Eagles held their first day of rookie minicamps on Friday.

Philadelphia had seven draft picks, nine undrafted free agents, 19 official tryout participants, and a handful of selected veterans or second-year players at the NovaCare Complex for two days of sessions and drills.

With Saturday’s session set to begin, here are highlights and takeaways from Philadelphia’s first rookie minicamp.

Eagles invited 19 players to tryout during rookie minicamp

Philadelphia Eagles invited 19 players to tryout during the rookie minicamp

The Eagles started their rookie minicamp on Friday, as the seven-man draft class and nine undrafted free agent signees participated in their first NFL practice.

With Philadelphia wanting a full roster of attendees, GM Howie Roseman invited 19 players in for a tryout.

Current Eagles’ players on the minicamp roster include Mario Goodrich, Kennedy Brooks, Tristin McCollum, Noah Elliss, and Tyrese Robinson.

Former Washington TE Sammis Reyes will participate in Eagles’ rookie minicamp

The former Washington tight end is getting another NFL chance.

The Washington Commanders were so impressed by Sammis Reyes at the University of Florida’s pro day in 2021 they signed him to a three-year deal.

The native of Chile was a former college basketball player at Tulane and was accepted into the International Player Pathway program despite having never played football.

Washington clearly liked the athletic Reyes, who stood almost 6-foot-6 and weighed over 250 pounds, while running the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds. In his first training camp, it was clear how far Reyes was behind others, but he impressed coaches with his work ethic and desire to improve.

He would make Washington’s 2021 roster, appearing in 11 games, mostly on special teams. Reyes faced an uphill battle to make Washington’s 2022 roster behind Logan Thomas and John Bates. The Commanders also drafted Cole Turner and signed rookie free agents Curtis Hodges and former college quarterback Armani Rogers. Washington moved on from Reyes last summer and he signed with the Bears practice squad in October.

Now a free agent, Reyes will receive another shot as he earned an invitation to the Philadelphia Eagles rookie minicamp, which takes place this weekend.